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Dareon 1.5% Margin of Error

Joined: 08 Jul 2002 Posts: 342 Location: Alaska, you fools! Stop being surprised!
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject: Rurouni Taikai SaGa: Final Round! |
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Final Round
First Stage - Fear Factor
The bright flare finally cleared, and the grouped contestants found themselves facing Ralph again. He looked more confused then ever, and was rapidly tapping keys on his new handheld. As the contestants looked around, they discovered they were standing in a luminous paradise, with clouds and crystalline platforms and golden pillars everywhere. In the near distance, several angelic creatures drifted among giant crystal flowers. Further along, they could see a pair of ivory staircases spiralling upwards until they were lost in brilliance.
Cyan scratched his head. "Is this... Heaven?"
Ralph looked up. "No... This says it's Hell." He waved the handheld at them. "Hell, universe SGF 25782. Things haven't been going right since that Oriental place, really. I figured we'd take this up with my employer, as I'm CERTAIN he didn't have any war-torn cities or schizoid delusions made flesh planned. This was the address he gave to contact in case of emergency, so here we are."
He looked around. "Granted, I'm not conversant with ALL the hells, but this certainly doesn't look like one of them." The small demon shrugged. "Anyway, I'm going to talk to my employer. You guys can... relax, enjoy yourselves, I suppose. Doesn't look too dangerous."
As Ralph had been talking, one of the angels had been drifting closer to the group. As it got within range, it suddenly underwent a horrific change. Its hair and wings dropped off, the skin bunched, changed color, and suddenly expanded to fit the muscle that now filled it. Finally, the robe dropped off, revealing an enormous, blue-skinned demon. The hellspawn roared and charged towards the gathering, murder in its eyes.
Halfway there, it was met by a torrent of death from half the contestants. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was a small greasy smear. Ralph blinked.
"Ah. Obviously, things are not as they seem. In that case..." He pointed. "Sir Cyan, Tachibana, Keitaro, Nova, and... Shizumaru. Come with me. You know, just in case things get ugly." He smiled in what was apparently meant to be a reassuring manner. The contestants were not reassured. He shrugged. "The rest of you..." Ralph paused and looked at the demon smear, "...Should be okay." He tapped a few keys, and with a flash, the small demon and the five he had chosen vanished. The rest of the group looked around as several other angelic shapes began approaching. Conker whipped out his twin SMGs and smiled.
"Which hellspawn's first?"
* * *
The five with Ralph blinked spots from their eyes, now seeing a glittering marble staircase stretching upward to a wide round platform that grew out of the clouds like a glorious pearl mushroom. Around the edge of the platform rose slim golden columns, stretching upwards into a brilliant light. Slowly, the six ascended the stairs, a gentle choir singing above them.
Cyan held his hand nervously on the hilt of the Yuzurenai Negai as he climbed. "I do not like this..."
Ralph slowly shook his head. "I'm very uneasy, myself. Everything tells me that if the situation turns ugly, all of us together might not be enough to... handle it."
Tachibana Asuka looked down at the little bureaucrat, worry in his eyes. "What does your device say about our probabilities here?"
He tapped a few keys. "Completely even. Taking into account the 1.5% margin of error... absolutely anything could happen."
Nova laughed softly. "Up to and including a rocket-propelled ninja, right?"
"Assumably."
The six reached the dais and stopped, looking about for a moment. In front of them rose two ranks of angelic creatures, five angels in each rank. In front of the angels, back to the stairs and the group, stood a single figure, cloaked and hooded in simple brown fabric. His arms were raised, and he appeared to be slowly directing the choir in front of him. The song died and the angels dispersed as the figure lowered its arms, and spoke, back still turned.
"So. You brought them to me, little demon."
Ralph scratched one horn nervously and stepped forward. "Ah... yes, sir. I have a few questions, however..."
"Oh? I would have thought your role in this was over. You have brought me the five I needed, now I can deal with them."
"That is immaterial at the moment, sir. What matters is the locations they were brought to in the second half of this tournament."
The figure chuckled. "Yes, they were a bit inspired, weren't they? Tell me. How many died?"
Ralph blinked. "None, sir. Those locations are what I wish to discuss..."
"None?" The figure interrupted. "None? Not one casualty? I alter the locations to send them into an invaded city, the innards of a young girl's psychotic mind, and an ancient dungeon full of powerful members of a warrior race, and NO ONE DIES?"
"...Alter?"
"Of course alter. Those fools selected worlds that were soft. Weak. Not fitting to raise a worthy warrior for me to defeat."
"...Warrior? Defeat?" Ralph looked extremely puzzled. His mind then latched onto the one piece of information he knew for certain. "But... YOU were the one who selected the rounds."
The man chuckled. "Yes... I... wasn't myself." He turned, throwing back his hood and removing the cloak. Underneath was a man clad in a set of purple robes, with light blonde hair framing a face that seemed to war with itself occasionally. On top of the man's head, the snout and upper jaw of a great lizard rested, the body of the lizard stretching down the man's back, front and rear claws running along his arms and legs. The entire reptilian assembly appeared to be growing directly from the body and robes of the man. Sneering, he tossed aside the cloak.
"You know, a few days ago, a band of misfits came down to my realm with the intent of sealing me away so I could no longer threaten their precious world. I defeated most of them easily, but there was this one who stood out. A spellcaster, clad in purple, who hurled spells the likes of which I had not seen before in my many millenia of existence. I knew that I had to have..." the man-lizard extended one hand, a blue fireball forming in it, "That POWER!" He laughed, and the fireball disappeared. "The mage fought valiantly, but as his final blow on me landed, so did mine on him. On the verge of death, I captured his soul and merged with it. Imagine how I felt when I found Amethyst had organized this little... tournament while I was trying to bring their soul under my full control."
The mage's eyes rolled back in his head for a moment, and he chuckled. "It seems they still don't understand that I control them. Perhaps I'll let them out for a moment..." His head snapped back, and when it returned, the eyes seemed softer, gentler than before.
"Please," Amethyst said, "Stop him. the Lord of Hell will not rest until the entirety of my world is destroyed... And with our powers added to his, he will soon find a way to other planes. He... Argh!" The eyes hardened again.
"Pitiful, isn't it? Asking for help from dead men..." He looked at the five fighters and saw weapons being readied. "What, aren't you even going to let me explain my cunning plan? Don't you want to know why you were sent to those dangerous places?"
Ralph pointed his handheld device at the demon wearing Amethyst's skin, in what was obviously supposed to be a menacing manner. "Tell us. If my thoughts are right, you're in a lot of trouble. By the Multiplanar Charter, section 4, subparagraph XII, clauses 14 through 23, tampering with a Multiplanar Event is a serious offense, punishable by..."
"Insolent whelp! You dare quote rules at ME?" One arm gestured, and the small grey demon was flung against one of the pillars and held there, struggling against the mystic force. The other five rushed the mage and received a similar treatment. The demon laughed cruelly.
"By the time I wrested full control from those pitiful mortals, this farce of a tournament was nearly half over. If I didn't act fast, it would be over, and five fresh, strong warriors would be delivered to me, well-tanned and smelling of roses. Even without this power I now possess, you would be no threat. But still, I had to tip the odds even more in my favor.
"Quickly, I sent word that you were to have a rest from this pitifully easy and boring tournament, along with a minor timeframe change in the third round. Originally, you would have arrived on a nice, clear, sunny day, been welcomed by Lord Gohda and allowed to relax and enjoy the... atmosphere." He spit. "Fortunately, only a day later, the palace came under heavy assault by a group of ninjas. It was a simple matter to shift the timeframe for your arrival by that small amount. Bureaucracy is a wonderful thing if you can push things through before they get... tangled in red tape." He smiled at Ralph and continued.
"So, while you were all getting down with your bad selves in that house a little later, I pushed through more extreme measures in changing the rounds. The city of Neverwinter was a scheduled stop, but during summer, and with no major disasters planned. Placing you inside the Source Stone was simple enough. And you were planned to go to the Mad Tea Party, but not in that... beautifully twisted universe."
The demon magician paced in front of them, gazing up into their faces as they struggled against the invisible bonds that held them to the pillars. "The Russians took a bit more doing, and it's a turn of locale I'm quite proud of. You were scheduled to land in... let's see... Rio de Janeiro, Earth. A lovely, sunny beach paradise. Pfah!" He spit to one side. "I managed to shift you to New York and another iteration of ERH. Wasn't that clever?"
He stopped and gazed up at Ralph, who was struggling to push a few keys on his handheld. "So, do you still plan on quoting chapter and verse of your precious little rulebook at me? I am the Lord of Hell, and my powers circumvent any little rules and regulations that stand in my way. With Amethyst's power added to my own, I am unstoppable!"
He smiled, fires kindling in his eyes. "I shall be as a juggernaut across the planes, sweeping over all in my path like a great tidal wave, until all is reduced to cowereing before my rule..."
He wheeled, raising his arms to his captives. "And I shall begin with you! The handpicked five, the hoped-for champions of Blue and Rouge... I shall crush you, and then the rest of the fleas within my domain."
He closed one hand into a fist, and the six began to choke as their throats were squeezed by massive invisible hands. "No... wait." He dropped his hand, and the six breathed heavily for a moment as he mused to himself. "A thought occurs to me. Strangling you all would be so peaceful and easy. But I would not enjoy it as much as seeing you writhe and squirm in pain before you die. So, then. First, shall you die by the greatest motivator. You shall meet your end by that which you fear most."
He made an almost dismissive gesture, and the view in front of the six went black, leaving only the fading laughter of the Mage of Hell ringing in their ears.
Location: Hell, SaGa Frontier
Special Rule: Mage of Hell
...This is supposed to be Hell? Well, it looks too good, but those demonic angels certainly make a strong point. This area looks like a standard Judeo-Christian concept of Heaven. Clouds, crystalline and pearly scenery, golden archways and columns, what have you. It would be perfect, except for all those angels around that keep turning into demons when you get close to them. And boy, there's a lot of those around.
Special Rule: Mage of Hell - Fear Factor Amethyst has been possessed by the spirit of his end boss, Hell's Lord. The demon mage has plunged the five finalists (And Ralph) into nightmares of their own worst fears. How these fears are handled is up to you. Arena, status, etc. is all determined by your unconscious minds (read: Do whatever you want). Your objective is to defeat these fears, or at least survive until the next segment. All five contestants will be taking part in all three segments of the final, so there's no need to worry about leaving things open to lose against your fears.
All other contestants are down in the main area of Hell. There is no way to access the final battleground from below, nor can the finalists leave the final area. You other people may battle demons, each other, each other's demons, loaf around, run away, whatever. Finish up your storylines.
Each Fallen (For that is what you are now, technically, if you're not in the final five) has Four (4) Victory Votes. These can be cast at any time, in public or privately, and should be cast for the person you think has done the best writing in the current segment. You can back a single Sponsor with all four votes, or spread them out as you see fit. However, I would like it if you would only vote after each segment, or at least wait until one or more of the finalists actually writes something. There will be three segments, and a final vote at the end of the round for overall awesomeness.
Good luck, and a big hand for Cyan Garamonde, Tachibana Asuka, Keitaro Urashima, Nova Shido and Hisame Shizumaru, for making the final round. And a round of applause to all the rest of you, for being generally kickass as well. Thank you for making this tournament so memorable.
Oh, and the answers for Round Six:
1) "The fifth is ambition. It next will be right
To describe each particular batch:
Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite,
And those that have whiskers, and scratch.
"For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm,
Yet, I feel it my duty to say,
Some are Boojums--" The Bellman broke off in alarm,
For the Baker had fainted away.
'But oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day,
If your Snark be a Boojum! For then
You will softly and suddenly vanish away,
And never be met with again!'
(I.E. Those that have feathers and bite, and those that have whiskers and scratch, with a bonus for mentioning boojums.)
2) Blunderbuss (bonus for mentioning how you get it)
3) Mushrooms, poppies, sugar and spice, all make something very nice. When combined, the proper mixture makes a getting-small elixir. (Bonuses for all four ingredients and the entire rhyme.)
Final Tally
Drizzt Do'Urden - FRN 40231 - Rain - Guenwhyvar - 0, -2, -3, 11: 6
Conker - CNK 00003 - AsylumXKP - 4, -1, 0, 16: 19
Keitaro Urashima - LVH 00984 - Moogle - Tama-chan - -3, -3, 6, 1: 1
Master Chief - HLO 07074 - Peptuck - Cortana - 9, -5, 5, 4: 13
Queen Brahne - ZDN 30201 - Simplistic Hero - 15, 20, 5, 5: 45
Red Okonogi (Alkaiser) - SGF 69580 - Thirdtwin - -1, 2, 23, 12: 36
Edward Wong Hau Pipelu Tivrusky IV - BBP 02438 - BlackMage - 1, 7, 1, 9: 18
Culex - SMR 42860 - Wayne - 9, 4, 5, 4: 22
Lisa - SKN 29875 - Luna - Guri the Goblin - -3, -2, 30, -19: 6
Bud - SKN 29875 - Nif - -5, 4, 0, 6: 5
Darth Malak - STW 65208 - San Draco - 11, -6, -2, 15: 18
Sora - HCK 25006 - Baka - 8, 19, 8, 4: 39
Jedah Dohma - VSV 79523 - LordLocke - 4, 6, 5, 4: 19
Hisame Shizumaru - SAM 29823 - CarlyCheeese - -11, 12, -3, 5: 3
Cyan Garamonde - WOR 87349 - Magus - -11, 8, -2, 3: -2
Sly Cooper - SLY 28930 - Procyon - 3, -2, -5, 11: 7
Tachibana Asuka - SYD 32684 - Seril - -6, 3, 0, 2: -1
Nova Shido - RYE 57230 - Helmar - Mokona - -4, 3, 10, -7: 2
Jason Soe - EVM 00002 - Curley W - 34, 67, 53, 57: 211
Akira Kazama - RVS 37305 - Kyo - 7, -9, -1, 16: 13
The First Phase ends in 12 hours. Begin the angst.
Last edited by Dareon on Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:57 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Puu-chu.
Translation: First! _________________

Last edited by Seril on Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:41 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Pin! To Higher Horizons! The Sociopolitical Fanficcer

Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 243 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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2nd nucca. _________________
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Thirdtwin Moonlight Shadow

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 807 Location: in a box of mistery
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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quack _________________ TT
Thanks to JSG for the r4wking banner |
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Peptuck Total Rat Bastard SOB

Joined: 05 Nov 2003 Posts: 583 Location: On Halo and loving it
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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Deployment +144 hours:05 minutes:22 seconds (SPARTAN 117 Mission Clock)/ Hell
"This is hell?" the Chief muttered. He shook his head. Compared to the Library on Halo, this was nothing. After the Flood and the Covenant, these angelic demons were, well...pitiful.
John frowned, however, checking his weapons. He seemed to have been saddled with some relaitively ineffective firepower. While he stil carried the M90 shotgun, he also packed the Covenant plasma rifle. At his side, however, was yet another of the Covenant plasma swords in place of a pistol. Well, at least he was decently armed, if the firepower was not his choice in the situation. Given his option, he'd have a battalion of Marines with Scorpions and warthogs, backed by Longsword air support. However, he'd make do with what he held now.
The Chief scanned thecrowd,a nd spotted Red, who apparently still hadn't recvered yet from his ordeal. The Spartan moved to the man's side. A comrade who was injured needed protection, after all. The Chief considered both Cyan and Red as much his comrades and fellows as he considered the Spartans he'd grown up with his whole life.
John crouched over Red and scanned for any threats. If anything remotely dangerous got near the fighter, the Master Chief would be there to deal with it.
--------------------------
The Chief's open for interaction, but is staying near Red unless threatened. He's packing a shotgun, plasma rifle, and plasma sword, along with the obligatory grenades of both frag and plasma variety. _________________ "I need a copy of halo 2. im 14 and u know i play games all day so i can test it fo u. MeGanaXX"
Dearest MeGanaXX,
14 what? IQ points? Months? If you mean years, then we're doomed. Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation better have kept all those WW2 weapons, because they're going to have a battle on their hands when your Hatest Generation of functionally retarded Dew-guzzling molemen tries to take over the world with a combination of idiocy and poor penmanship.
~Letters to the Bungie Webmaster |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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“It’s been three years since the last attack from the mainland. Today, we of the NRRP are here at the Hope Festival to help celebrate our third year of independency! Now, back to you Ann.”
*click*
Asuka turned off the T.V., and returned to his computer. “It is true how these days have been peaceful… but I wish they weren’t so care-free. Another attack from the mainland could come at any time.”
“But that’s why we have you, my dear Asuka!” Cammy replied, as she walked into the room, grinning. “Come on, you’ve been working nonstop ever since you received that letter… Come and have some fun with me at the fair!”
“Maybe you’re right... Go on ahead, I’ll catch up as soon as I shut everything down.”
As Cammy left the room, Asuka sighed. The letter in question had been sent by an unknown source, telling him to be ready for a “surprise” on this day’s date. That wasn’t the only thing that worried him. Eelian had contacted him a week ago about the same kind of letter being delivered to him, and Asuka hasn’t heard from him since.
“I can’t just go running in and telling everyone that there is a possible threat. It would cause the entire island to panic. As well, Ryuho and Kazuma are still nowhere to be found.” Asuka continued saying to himself as he hit the button on the computer to shut it off, and walked outside.
There isn’t much I can do about it, except wait for the surprise to come.
“My, were you just thinking about me?”
Asuka spun around, coming to see a figure shrouded by the shadows of his house leaning against the house’s door. “Who are you? What do you want with me?”
“Don’t be so hasty. The last one rushed through things far too fast, I want to have some fun.” The figure stepped forward, coming out of the shadows and revealing himself. Dressed in a black suit, the tall -man had long, raven black hair. His eyes were covered with sunglasses, but a faint blue glow emanated behind them.
One thing Asuka failed to notice before became very apparent now. Being held, well, impaled, by three claws on the man’s wrist was a limp female figure, covered in blood.
This... this has happened before. This isn't real!
"I told you that my record of extermination was 100%. Did you think I, Asura, forgot about you?" asked the man as he dropped the corpse to the ground.
"But... how!?" screamed Asuka.
Asura laughed. "You just don't get it, do you?"
"Radical Good Speed!" shouted a figure dashing at Asura at a high speed.
"Would you like to know what has happened during your absense?" The figure launched a kick at Asura, who simply dodged to the side and caught him with his hand by the head.
"No..."
Asura grinned. Applying more pressure, Asura caved the man's head in, making it explode in a gory mess.
Tears began flowing down Asuka's cheeks as he said, "Why!? I won't let you! Eternity Eight!" Asuka extended his hand. Nothing happened.
"Looking for these?" laughed Asura, as eight orbs began floating around him. "These... are mine now."
"No!"
Asura pointed to Asuka, and the orbs sped over to him, slamming into him at high speeds.
"Watermellon Cannon!"
Another figure had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. His hand in a watermelon, a large barrage of seeds were launched at Asura.
"Weak," Asura extended a hand, and the seeds changed course, impaling the watermelon man.
Blood began to flow from Asuka's mouth from the beating he was receiving from his own alter, yet he still managed to let out a cry for his fallen friend, "Urizane!"
"I was depressed when I found out that these two were your strongest," casually said Asura.
"The shockwave of the first bullet!"
"Zetsui!"
One figure slammed an armored fist into Asura, who was then sliced at by two ribbons on top of an almost alienoid shaped figure. Asura then grabbed the first one's fist, crushing it. Then, with hsi free hand, he projected his blue aura at the alienoid figure, consuming it.
"Shimatta..." muttered the one with a now broken fist, as he collapsed to the ground. Asura then took the time to idly crush his spinal cord with the heel of his foot.
"Kazuma... Ryuho..." The orbs stopped attacking Asuka. He looked up to Asura, still playing with Kazuma's spinal cord. "This isn't real. It can't be."
"But it is." _________________
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Alone.
The word rang through Keitaro's consciousness and it echoed. It echoed through the whole of his being as he was forced into a nightmare by the Hell demon whatever-it-was. As he slipped off into that slumber, his awareness of reality slipped as well, something else magically forced upon him, and he forgot. He forgot that he was being forced to experience his worst fears, he forgot that he was brought along for a tournament, he forgot that it was all just a dream...
Alone.
He forgot it all and then it was only a man and his worst fear. Being...
Alone.
***
The phone rang and it woke him up from his dream. He opened his eyes and he saw that he was in a room somewhere. He could not remember ever seeing the room before. In fact, he could not remember anything.
He sat up and grabbed the phone off the hook. "Hello," he said into it, although he did not know how he knew to say that, because he could not remember.
"Keitaro?" said a voice on the other end.
And then some things flooded back to him. That was him, Keitaro. Keitaro Urashima. This was his room that he was in... his room in the Hinata Apartments. Where he was the manager, and had a number of tenants... that was right. They were all there, everyone he knew and loved (in varying ways,) or at least they were all nearby.
He remembered the voice, too. It was his friend Haitani, a fellow ronin, one of his old study buddies, though neither of them was very successful together. Nor was Shirai, he remembered... the third member of their little trio.
"What is it?" Keitaro asked. It was very unusual for Haitani to call him, he remembered.
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that me and Shirai are going to be real busy with stuff here at Neverland for a while. I don't think you'll hear from us any time soon."
"Oh, okay," he replied, but there was already a dialtone on the other end. Haitani hadn't even waited to hear his reply, or even to say some sort of farewell. That wasn't very nice.
Alone.
Where did that thought come from? He was hardly alone, just because he wouldn't hear from Shirai and Haitani for a while. Everyone else would be around, after all--
"Keitaro?" That voice he also knew. It was his Aunt Haruka. She ran a little restaurant near the apartments. She would always be there. Without waiting for him to reply to her - how did she get in my room? - she continued, "I'm closing down the tea shop indefinitely. I need a vacation." She was carrying a couple of suitcases. And in fact, she left his room immediately after informing him of that.
"Bye," he said to her quickly, but she was already gone.
Alone.
It was getting a little weird. There was a gnawing feeling that was beginning to settle in his stomach, though he did not quite yet recognize it for what it was. No, not yet. He'd have to see what was going on with everyone else. Would they be acting this strangely?
Keitaro stepped out into the hallway and a white van crashed through it next to him. The door to the driver's side popped open and a man with a bloody gash on his forehead stepped out... that was right, it was Seta! Keitaro worked for Seta, sometimes. Seta was an insane driver, so he tended to do things like crash into second-story hallways. That was one of the things he loved about his life, so many different people around made it very interesting.
"Yo, part-timer. I'm coming to take Sara for a while. There's a hot new find out in the Pacific and I want her to check it out with me. I won't need you for a while."
The brash American girl, Sara, who Keitaro didn't particularly like but was also a part of his life, was suddenly in Seta's arms, and he climbed back into the van without any further words. The white van backed out of the hole it made and crashed down to the ground, then sped down the steps and off into the distance.
Alone.
He decided he'd better go down to the kitchen to check up on Shinobu, the quiet little girl who had a schoolgirl's crush on him. All of the noise might have her unsettled. But when he got down to the kitchen, it was completely empty, save for a note that he read aloud.
"Sempai, I have to go home. My parents are fighting. Don't look for me. Shinobu."
"Oh," said Keitaro to no one in particular.
Alone.
"KEITARO!" someone shouted excitedly, and he turned to the source of it just in time to be greeted by Su's flying kick to his face that sent him twisting through the air to slam against the far wall.
"Ow." He rubbed his cheek. "What is it, Su?"
But he already knew that she was going to leave. He could feel it in his gut. The dreadful feeling was only expanding with each passing second.
"Mom's trying to marry me off to some guy, so I've gotta go kill him. Bye!"
He walked over to her to try to stop her, but she sent him flying again with a roundhouse kick, again connecting with his face.
Keitaro was still laying on the floor trying to sort through what was happening when Kitsune came up to him. She was wearing only lingerie and carrying some weird accessories. "I gotta make some more money, so I'm gonna shack up in a strip joint for a while. See ya!"
His stare towards her as she walked away was blank. There were only so many more, and he was afraid that they might...
"Urashima?"
...might leave, too. The dreadful feeling grew exponentially as he heard Motoko speak.
"There's some sort of demonic invasion in Tokyo. I must go combat it. Do not mourn for me if I do not survive."
Alone.
That was it. He could not take it anymore. He ran outside to chase down Motoko and stop her from leaving, but she was already gone from his sight by the time he got outside. In fact, the only thing he could see was the form of Mutsumi walking up the steps, dragging a bag with a couple of watermelons.
"Urashima-kun? I have to go somewhere else. I love you." She walked over to him and French kissed him while he wasn't paying attention.
"YOU IDIOT!"
Naru's fist connected with him in the middle of kissing Mutsumi and he crashed against a nearby tree trunk. Mutsumi was already gone when he looked again, and Naru was a tragic mix of seething and sobbing. "I HATE YOU! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
"Naru, wait, I love--" But the sobbing girl had already run off. He did not understand. It wasn't his fault that Mutsumi kissed him. He had to go tell someone about that. Surely, they would know what to tell--
It hit him then that everyone was gone. And he had no way to get a hold of any of them. There was only Keitaro there on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments and he was completely lost.
Perhaps, could he have remembered that it was all a nightmare being forced on him, perhaps then he could have dealt with it in the proper perspective. But as far as Keitaro was concerned it was all real, and his greatest fear had just come true.
Alone.
Tears began to fall from his eyes as he sank to the ground and let out one anguished wail: "KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
It echoed across the grounds of the place, only reinforcing the emptiness that Keitaro felt. Soon even that echo was gone, soon the tears ran dry, and there was only Keitaro Urashima. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Tenshi Kain The Chief Apostle

Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 413 Location: Train Graveyard
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Congratulations, all of you! This has been a fun tournament to watch for me- you guys deserve as much praise as I can heap upon you (in particular, I have to say, Nif and Luna, I haven't actually laughed at something I read on a monitor in way too long- thanks for remedying that, yes! ). Best of luck to the finalists, it's gonna be damn hard to vote...like always. |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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"No!" Asuka screamed, cluching his chest. Everyone he knew, his friends, were all dead. Asuka could feel his own death coming soon as well, but he shrugged the feeling off. "The Eternity Eight... are... MINE!" The same array of colors spread throughout the area, seeming to heal Asuka and create his Eternity Eight.
"A pity I wasn't able to trick you," Asura said as his orbs fell to the ground, "It looks like I'll have to do this the hard way!"
Asuka knew that he had to defeat this man. Take revenge for everything that had happened. However, he knew something was wrong. Ignoring that, he released his alter and launched it at Asura.
The scene replayed before Asuka's eyes. His attacks having no effect. Being launched through the house. Blow for blow, punch for punch. This time, however, there was no gray man in the car. Just Asuka.
Asura came through the hole in the house's wall, grinning. "Don't you see?" he asked. "You have no chance. You're hopeless. A weak and pathetic failure. Meet death at my hands." Asura reached down to grab Asuka, who was about ready to resign to his fate.
Don't give up, Asuka! I'll never forgive you if you do!
Cammy! No... I can't give up now... after all I've gone through!
The same pillar of color than enveloped the two before now enveloped them again. Asuka felt an enourmous power surge through him that wasn't there before, however. He grinned, and slowly rose from the floor.
"W-what!?" screamed out Asura, taking a few steps back.
"Two things," said Asuka as he rose from the floor, "First of all, I won't be needing a trip to the Other Side."
Asura looked at Asuka, surprised, "What?"
"I've learned a lot in this past week... I've come to a lot of conclusions about myself." Asuka paused.
"Well, what is the second?" asked Asura, growing impatient.
"Straight Cougar has been dead for three years. This can't be real."
Reality seemed to shatter. _________________
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Procyon Raccoon Master Thief

Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 244 Location: Socorro, NM
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:08 pm Post subject: 7-1 |
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Just as we were on our way out of the dungeon, Keitaro and I happened to run into our not-so-favorite dark-skinned elven ranger. Drizzt was apparently on his way to rescue us... even if he was a little late. His sword came in handy, though: on the way up, a whole pack of creepy-looking ghouls that had apparently noticed our escape attacked us, but the ranger was able to plow right through them and we hardly even lost a step. Even after that, getting out of that mad world proved a bit tricky, wandering to and from a number of increasingly bizarre rooms with a host of monsters chasing after us - but eventually we found our way to the front gates and out into safety.
Well, until some girl in a biker suit dropped a piano on me, but that's another story.
Sly Cooper
in
Seventh Hell
The four warriors (and Keitaro) vanished into the portal. So, Ralph was just going to leave them unsupervised in this cloudy land of... gold and crystal? The raccoon's eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
There was a loud howl of pain as Drizzt's magical blade sliced through yet another of the demonic angels.
OK, gold and crystal and demons.
First order of business, though, was to check back with HQ. Sly reached into his pack and pulled out the binocucom, waiting for Bentley's signal. But there was nothing but silence. Sly held the device in front of his eyes, tilting it in various directions as he waited for the signal. And waited and waited... but there was no response. The raccoon fiddled with a few dials - volume, communications channel, a bunch of others he didn't even recognize - but the only noise he heard was static.
He shrugged and put the device back in his pocket. Looks like he was on his own this time. Anyway... as for that gold and crystal...
Carefully looking back and forth, Sly proceeded over to one of the pillars rising from the cloud on which he and the other contestants stood. Golden angel statues jutted out in all four directions from the radiant spiraling column - detailed, elaborate winged forms that sparkled like the sun as if they were made of pure gold.
Pulling a small file out of his pack, Sly got to work, quickly sawing at the base of a nearby statue in hopes of separating it. This continued for about... seven seconds. Then, all of a sudden, the pillar suddenly shuddered and the statues disappeared as it instantly turned the color dark pewter, and Sly dropped the file in shock just as an array of spikes jutted haphazardly out of the pillar in every direction.
"Alright... maybe that's not such a good idea." _________________
Description 1: Police Dossier
Description 2: The Thievius Raccoonus Online
Chapter 0: Return to Paris 0-1 0-2
Chapter 4: The Red Menace 4-1 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-5 4-6 4-7
Chapter 5: Trouble in Paradise 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-6 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-10
Chapter 6: The Jack of Diamonds 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-7
Chapter 7: Seventh Hell 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4
Current Location: Hell, swept into the air |
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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How much time passed with him laying still on the ground, staring up at the sky, Keitaro would never know. He knew that he saw night and he saw day at different points, but how many times, he did not keep track. Such details were unimportant to him, as indeed everything was unimportant, because he had lost everyone important to him to various things, and there was no reason to move with that in mind.
He could think of no things but that, the abandoning of him by the others. It drained the possibility for any enjoyment of his existence. Because it all derived from them. Even his promise to the girl from his memories was assuredly moot, because he could try as hard as he could to get into Tokyo U (assuming that he could do it studying by himself, which was certainly no sure thing, as the previous three years showed him,) but even if he did, the promise girl was either Naru or Mutsumi (and no matter what Naru said, he was sure it was her, somehow.) So he laid there and sat and stared at the sky and very nearly passed out of all recognition.
A corner of his mind noted dimly the shape that seemed to be flying high up in the sky, heading in his general direction, and his eyes did focus on that movement even if most of his mind did not recognize it. More time passed, slowly, and the shape got closer and closer. The same corner of Keitaro's mind noted that it looked somewhat familiar, and as it drew closer and closer he recognized that it was a hot springs turtle. But not just any hot springs turtle, it was, in particular, a hot springs turtle that Keitaro knew. Even with his mind mostly in shutdown mode, he would know Tama-chan anywhere, and the turtle flying in was most certainly Tama-chan.
At first he did not register it more than with this one corner of his mind because that corner was sure that Tama-chan was merely appearing to say one brief thing and then disappear, as all of the others had done. This he was convinced would happen especially as Tama-chan flew down from the sky and landed next to him and said "Myuh!"
So convinced was he, in fact, that he stopped paying attention to Tama-chan and went back to looking at the sky again, and pitying himself for even being alive. And with even Tama-chan gone he would have been content to sit there until whatever end came to him.
"Myuh!" he heard again, from right next to him.
He turned his head and Tama-chan was still sitting there, looking at him expectantly. She had not flown off after all. His eyes widened, the first time they moved at all since Keitaro sat down, and then just to make sure, he rubbed his eyes (the first time his arms moved at all since Keitaro sat down,) just to make sure it was Tama-chan still sitting there. And that was still the case.
"You're here, Tama-chan," he whispered. Keitaro leapt to his feet, the first time he had been on them in an eternity, and he looked around. Everything was exactly how he left it. He took in the sights and the smells of the Hinata Apartments. The foundation was still there. All that he had to do was bring everybody back. True, he was afraid of being alone, but he was Keitaro Urashima! He never was alone even when he was alone, not as long as he remembered them!
"I'll find you all and bring you back!" Keitaro screamed at the sky, running forward.
In the course of running forward, he didn't quite notice that he was heading straight towards the steps that led up to the Apartments, so as he approached them, he stepped where he presumed would be flat ground but was actually a step, lost his balance, and tumbled down the steps. And tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled... There were at least a couple hundred steps going up to the Hinata Apartments. None of the current tenants had ever stopped to count.
At the bottom, Keitaro was a bit bruised and a bit dizzy, but he was also determined, so he stood right back up. Wobbling a bit because of the dizziness, he again proclaimed, "I'll find you all and bring you back! I am Keitaro Urashima, and I will not be alone!"
He would have to bring them back in the order they left, and that meant Shirai and Haitani were first. Keitaro and Tama-chan set off for Neverland Amusement Park. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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CarlyCheeese Scarlet Rain Silence

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 1202 Location: Koka-In Temple
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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Hisame Shizumaru - 7:1
- Perhaps the Phantasmagoria, after, all, had been telling him the truth about the state of things.
Where before he'd been in an angelic world, surrounded by clear skies, white clouds, and warming sunshine, Shizumaru now found himself in desolation - dry grass pooled at his feet, blowing in the wind, while trees long dead stuck up bluntly in the grey sky; leaves crinkling from age. The freezing wind blew across his skin, making his skin prickle (to his surprise, he noticed his usual scars had returned) and his eyes water. The location, as far as he could tell, wasn't a familiar one - there wasn't any place he remembered that was so utterly desolate as this. Nothing was alive at all, save for him... and the girl beside him.
She wore an olive-green yukata, with a pattern of dragonflies scattered around the hem, and it spread out in waves along with her hair, white as the angel-clouds he'd been surrounded by earlier. A tachi hung across her back, while a katana rested at her hip - inmistakably Saishoku Gohan, but she was not facing him, no matter from what perspective he viewed her from. She stood in the wind calmly, it seemed; silent, but standing for something that he couldn't figure out what. His eyes turned to the scene beyond the trees, and his eyes widened in horror. At the horizon, lying at the base of the mountain peak they were on, was a decrepit village, long arsonized and left for ruin.
The area was familiar... too familiar. The mountains, the trees, even the same stream that passed by - it was Kamui Kotan. Shizumaru burst into a run as hard as he could, heading towards the village with as much speed as his legs could give him. The figure of Gohan still stood facing away, her yukata and hair blowing in waves with the wind - until she turned her face towards his figure, dashing away, and a smile swept upon her countenance. Her fingers reached up, stroking the hilt of the tachi on her shoulder, and she leant her head against the wooden frame, closing her eyes and giving the blade a gentle kiss. She stood still a moment later, then turned her entire self and began to walk slowly after Shizumaru, dragging her sandaled feet with each step.
When Shizumaru reached the outskirts of the little village, he was pale with shock - every last inch of the land had been scorched by fire, and from the looks of things, it had happened long ago. The remains of buildings had half decomposed, and what debris there was remained in the form of grey dust, continually being blown away by the wind. The demon hunter's body was shaking in anxiety as he quietly made his way through the ruins of the village that had actually opened its arms to him, and through and by he could see flashes of memories around him - having someone offer to treat his scars, someone to wash his clothes, another someone willing to prepare food for him... and of course, the two Maidens of Light, the younger of which had been the keeper of his heart for two years. Had she escaped from the travesty that had happened to her home?
A hawk's cries pierced the silence of the sky, and swooped down low to meet him - Shizumaru held out his arm as a perch for the hawk to rest on. It nipped at his shoulder playfully as it perched on his wrist, but it didn't hurt... Nakoruru's pet wouldn't do such a thing to someone that its owner trusted. If hawks had emotions, then this one was crying... for its eyes held a sadness that only tragedy could bestow to it. The hawk, Mamahaha, folded its wings and bent down, roosting - a gesture that looked to Shizumaru as if it was paying respects to the dead. With a fearful glance of what he might find when he came across the small wooden house that the Ainu maidens lived in, set apart from the rest of Kamui Kotan, he continued on with a sick feeling in his stomach, unaware that Gohan was slowly catching up to him.
The desolation around him was terrifying, not least to say the wreckage - trees had fallen on whole buildings, turning the entire ground aflame and setting it on fire. It would've had to have been a deliberate one; fires couldn't start up so high in the mountains - but that was the least of his worries. His eye spotted the house on a hill that the sisters lived in, and he ran towards it, hoping against hope that it was still there, that it hadn't been caught by the fire and that neither of the girls had been hurt, especially not Rimururu; his Rimu -
He fell to his knees in shock when he saw what had happened to the little house. The ground had been half-crushed by a fault in the mountain, as well as having been set on fire, too - the small forest that had offset the house had been completely scorched, and too many of the trees had collapsed on that onset as well. The hawk on his arm bowed its proud head, and sprung off of his arm, apparently trying to lead him somewhere, but Shizumaru wasn't at all sure he wanted to go along with it. It chirped, echoing into the air, and felt to his ears as a plea - so even though his legs were tired and frail from all the shock... even though his heart could explode from the speedy heartbeats at any second... even though he had no faint trace of hope she was still alive, Shizumaru picked himself up, staggering along with an increasingly sorrowful heart.
Mamahaha led him through the forest, using her chirps to lead him along, and the two continued as so until they reached a clearing in the forest - a clearing that was a perfect circle, and had a sizable crater in the middle. The hawk chirped again, floating along on the currents from the air, leading Shizumaru to the crater - and even though he knew he couldn't bear to look at what he would find in there, his mind let him towards the sight anyway, as if he had to be sure that Mamahaha was only showing some strange item that was the cause of it all, or some sign that Rimururu had escaped - anything to persuade his heart that nothing had happened to her -
He stopped, rigid with shock, at what was in the crater. A white circle of sorts, lined with elegant curves and shapes (something vaguely... alchemic in nature), had been created under a skeleton in its perigee from the ground level. The skeleton looked as if it had gone through horrible torture - its arms were bent in erratic directions, half of the left leg had been entirely seperated at the knee (the lower half lay to the side at an angle to the knee), and the skeleton's neck had been snapped in half, the head twisted in a grusome maneuver. That in particular wasn't what finally drove Shizumaru to tears - the first that he had suffered in two years - but rather, what he saw around the skeleton's neck.
It was an iron headband, strung with thin rope and decorated with blue, yellow, and red beads. It had been a gift to that person whose neck it was slung around from their sister - who had given her that last gift before she had become one with nature.
Shizumaru's mind was filled with the imagery of Rimururu's body, bruised and bleeding, as she screamed in pain while her arms were forced into grotesque positions, as her leg was hacked off at the knee - and as her neck was snapped at the side and her head was twisted, shoved into the ground roughly while the blood ran from the cuts and burns on her body. The skeleton's mouth was hanging open, and from there, Shizumaru could almost hear her last words as the tears he had hidden away for so long fell from his eyes -
"Mamoru de wa arimasen yo doushite... ?" the skeleton's head was slowly turning toward him, speaking with a voice only paralleled in the stuff of nightmares. "Why didn't you protect me...?"
"Rimu - " Shizumaru choked on a sob, shaking as he looked at the skeleton, which was sitting up and staring at him with its jaw still gaping open as if it were a fish, and eye sockets dark, pleading, demanding - trying to suck him into its will. "I never - I never would have left you if I knew this would happen - "
"Shita yo. It happened," the skeleton's voice was reverberating in his ears, and Shizumaru hung his head, trying to escape its monotone voice. "Wasurerarenai yo... yurusu ja nai, omae. I cannot forget... and I will never forgive you for it."
"Rimu - " Shizumaru choked on his tears again, but had to resist his emotions, facing a greater threat before him - Gohan, whose katana was placed against the thick of his neck, her nimble fingers preparing to draw out the iron blade at any moment. "Gohan, you can't... you can't be," he slumped his neck against the wooden sheath, as the geisha girl was slowly - very slowly - drawing out the blade. "... Did you do this...?"
"The girl's powerful, that's for certain," a broad voice boomed out over the scene, and Shizumaru's head shot up, flinging away a few tears. He looked around furiously for the speaker, sitting up and jumping to his feet to try and fight whoever it was (Gohan was knocked backwards on her rear and landed with an "oof!"), but there was absolutely no one in sight, besides the skeleton that was still staring at him, and Gohan who was rubbing her butt with an unusual fervor. "But... I already have my Han-in no Onna. She was the one who destroyed this pathetic dwelling, not our little geisha," Gohan sneered at the last snide comment about her, as she stood up and brushed herself off. "As for that skeleton... I made sure to take care of that particular bother by myself. Such a stubborn girl! She kept insisting that the scarlet rain would come to wash me away... but she died quite easily by my hand. I was expecting more after twenty years!"
Shizumaru was shaking in anger, although his tears still fell from his face. "You bastard," his voice trembled in rage. "I will kill you for what you did to her - I will send you to hell and make sure you fucking die for your sins. If you were looking for your damned Hanyo no Otoko," he stood up, and pointed to his chest, screaming, "Koko ni iru da yo!! I'm RIGHT HERE!!"
Before him materialized a white robe, laced with icy blue, where the wearer was wearing a filmy, sheer black body-suit (as the ninja often wore), and his black hair, shining the same kind of blue, billowed out behind him. His face could have been the most terrible thing seen by man, or the most beautiful, depending on what he'd done to you - if he had done nothing, you would be easily lost in his eyes... and then you would be dead for daring to take that small peek. Shizumaru's rage was beyond comprehension, fueling him as his tears fell awry and his grip on not his umbrella, but the Muramasa, tightened, to the point where it felt like his knuckles could burst out of his skin.
"You killed her," he tried to speak calmly, as Gohan watched on. "You killed the only girl who ever loved me - and you are killing the only other girl who can understand me. If you've been trying to break me, you've done a damned fine job of it. The problem was how you did it."
"If I'm going to have to suffer through the aches and pains of the body of humanity, please, do spare me," the sorceror, who could only be Yuga, yawned, throwing a conscending glance at his target for Hanyo no Otoko. "I don't need a body who won't come to me willingly. One of your loves has already died... I can kill the other just as easily," he held out his hand with his fingers outstretched, and as Shizumaru turned to Gohan, eyes widening in fear once more, he looked on as Yuga curled up one finger - and the girl's stomach exploded in a rain of blood.
"Gohan!!" Shizumaru tried to run after her, but the sorceror was witholding him, forcing him to watch his torture of the geisha girl. Gohan was lying on the ground, clutching her stomach and trying to stop the bleeding - but it was no use to do so. She looked up at Shizumaru from behind her cracked glasses, her eyes speaking words that she could not - forget me, they told him. Get away. You can't let him have you - this world will be destroyed if he has your seed! Shizumaru, RUN!
The problem was, he couldn't run - he was too locked in his horror at seeing the albino girl's torture. Yuga's laughter haunted him, echoing in his ears, as he flicked another finger - two loud cracks, like gunshots, sounded out, and Gohan was screaming hoarsely in pain. Shizumaru couldn't see what had happened at first; there hadn't been another burst of blood... but he soon saw that Gohan's arms had been broken nearly in half, twisting in exactly the opposite direction.
She slumped to the ground, sobbing in pain, and Shizumaru could not hold back his own emotions, crying just as much as the girl in front of him. "Stop it," he begged the sorceror. "Stop it!!"
"Become my Hanyo no Otoko," he whispered, suddenly drawing next to him, and tearing the kimono jacket from his body. "Give yourself to my cause... I don't think I'll hurt you too much. Your face possesses the sort of beauty rarely bestowed on any soul... I would be so loathe to ever damage it. I have guaranteed you some degree of fair treatment... will you agree?"
Shizumaru said nothing. Either he could give himself up to Yuga's evil, or watch Gohan die in front of him -
She screamed out in pain again as her lower leg shot off of her body, sending a fountain of blood spraying into the air. Shizumaru screamed after her as she writhed on the ground, too weak to even move. The demon turned to Yuga again, who was laughing with mirth at the situation - not at all traced by guilt about murdering the girls before him. "You will kill me before I'll let you continue this," Shizumaru whispered, through his tears. "Stop it - stop it!!"
"My offer," Yuga leant in close, licking the skin below his earlobe - and pulling on the sash that held up his hakama trousers. "That's all I ask. I'll stop if you'll give yourself up..."
Shizumaru's face was burning with sorrow, rage, shame; a number of things - but as far as the situation went... could he stand to see Gohan die for the sake of humanity - or would he let himself be a slave to the lustful whims of the sorceror around his body?
He never thought that he would have to face a decision like it in a thousand years.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . Credo quia absurdum non credere. . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Helmar Brilliant Reflection

Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Cephiro
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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Daughter of Cephiro, you have been summoned. If you would survive, show me that you are worthy. Show me your power. Show me the strength of heart of a Magic Knight!
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Nova had just hurled another Fire Arrow at Hikaru, and she watched as Eagle’s GTO it’s missing an arm, leg, and head but how is it STILL MOVING rose up to take the blow for the Magic Knight. With the last of his energy, Eagle managed to rip Lantis out of Regalia. The strain proved to be too much for the GTO, which crumpled to the ground, immobile.
Suddenly Lady Debonair appeared on the battlefield, towering over the remaining combatants. In a purely vindictive strike, Nova watched as Debonair launched a bolt of crackling energy at the GTO, destroying both it and its pilot. Nova could feel the pain in Hikaru’s heart from Eagle’s death, and could only watch as the three mashin merged into one. The newly formed Rune-God tried to strike at Debonair, but Nova maneuvered into its path. Regalia and Rayearth grappled hand-to-hand…and then howcananythingBEthatSTRONG Rayearth simply crushed Regalia’s hands, pieces of the wounded mashin falling to the ground below.
Nova could feel Regalia’s pain I’mhurthowcouldshedothisit’sallforHER, and then she remembered the dark presence above her. Nova looked up at the towering form of her mother, hovering above the Magic Knights, regal and powerful.
“Mother, they hurt my Rune-God! Please, help me!” Nova cried to Lady Debonair. However, Debonair didn’t even seem to see Regalia as she stared down at the Magic Knights. Suddenly she unleashed a massive blast of dark energy at the Knights. The bolt stuck the mashin; their faint outlines could be seen through the darkness for a brief moment, then blew away like ashes in the wind.
Nova grinned. Soon, Debonair would destroy the last vestiges of Cephiro…after that, the Earth…after that, everything. Soon Hikaru would be able to be with those she loved for all eternity. Nova raised an energy blade to her own throat. She imagined how happy Hikaru would be when they met again as the blade cut through her ne-
NO! That isn’t how it happened!
Hikaru reached down, and Nova flinched away, only to be caught in Hikaru’s embrace. Nova was confused; the only thing she could feel in Hikaru’s heart was sorrow and a…deep warmth?
“My heart…the shadow of my heart that I left here at that one instant…” Hikaru said as she reached out to embrace Nova.
“I was all alone. I searched everywhere but you weren’t there Hikaru!” Nova cried, tears in her eyes. “I was crying all alone when Mother Debonair said she would stay with me…that she would love me…”
“I’m sorry, Nova. Can you feel my heart? I want to live, and be happy. I want to love myself…even the part of myself that regrets, feels pain, and knows sadness.”
“W…will you love me?” Nova said hesitantly, afraid of rejection. Hikaru nodded, then smiled. Nova grinned in happiness, the first time Hikaru could ever remember seeing that expression of joy on Nova’s face. Nova reached out to embrace Hikaru, and faded from sight, returning to Hikaru’s heart…
************
As she stepped into the shadow of the massive pillar that held both the elevator and most of the vital rooms of the Thames, a purple-haired man stepped into sight – Mokona attached to his head. As he opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted by a loud crash.
Nova and the man looked up just in time to see several of the huge panes of glass on the third floor shatter and begin to fall.
“Miss, please get down!” the man shouted as he lunged at Nova. “Eternity Eight!”
Portions of the deck plates vanished in sprays of color as eight jade orbs began to rotate above Asuka and Nova. Nova threw an arm above her, creating a faintly-shimmering barrier of light just below the whirling orbs.
Mokona just jumped off Asuka’s head and said “Puu?”
Nova and Asuka both grimaced as the falling glass hit the combined barriers. The barriers actually lowered a few inches as the glass hit. Nova heard a loud thump, and turned to see Asuka on the ground, a shard of glass large as man’s arm piercing his chest. Sobbing, she tried to do something, anything, as the light faded from his ey-
This is wrong! Who are you! Show yourself!
“Thanks for the support” Nova said as she picked Mokona up. A thin stream of flame flowed between Mokona’s forehead gem and the gem on Nova’s hand. “Shido Nova, and I think you’ve already met Mokona.”
“I guess we’re both a bit more than we seem” Asuka smiled as he dissolved the orbs. “Tachibana Asuka.”
*************
Nova grinned a little as she sent a bolt of fire into a cluster of demons. As annoying as Sora was, at least he could fight. She glanced around again, making sure that no one needed help. Shizumaru was actually making a bit of headway towards the larger demon, with Asuka and Sora quickly following in his wake. Red –
Now bleeding from a dozen more wounds, Red seemed to stumble away from attacks more often than dodge. He no longer held his firearm, likely having dropped it in the confusion. Nova’s heart skipped a beat as she watched yet another tiny demon leap at him from behind, scythe glimmering as it swooped in. She reached out, flinging a bolt of Crimson Lightning at the demon…
…too late. The demon’s scythe all but disappeared as it pierced Red’s back, then was wrenched down through his flesh as gravity asserted itself after the demon’s jump. Blood flew from Red’s mouth as he collapsed, dozens of demons swarming over his crumpling for…
Where are you! Stop hiding, and face me!
Twin jets of crimson flame leapt from Nova’s hand, circling each other as they shot for the Bapho Jr leaping at Red. In the space of a moment the two flames spun in opposite directions around the demon, melting its scythe, rising into the air in a quickly-narrowing cone. As the two flames met in the air, the melded bolt slammed straight into the ground.
All that was left of the small demon was a tiny wisp of ash.
******************
“Every time I think of how my powers…how I’m changing, I can only think of when Debonair changed me. I’m scared…scared of what I might become. Scared of who I might hurt…”
“You’re right,” Shizumaru said as he struggled up. He stumbled past her, saying, “Just leave. You’re too much of a threat to the rest of us be near. With these worlds only growing more dangerous, we can’t afford to help you.”
Shizumaru walked off without a second glance-
He would never say that. His eyes are too kind…I could see their warmth even when Ameki was in control. I know what you’re trying to do.
It isn’t working.
******************
Ameki smiled as he walked towards Nova, Muramasa lazily tracing figures in the air. He drew his second blade, eyeing it for any damage.
“Hikaru. Nova. Such beautiful words. Almost twins, in a sense. Both meaning light. I wonder…if I cut you, would Hikaru bleed? If she did, would the Murasama drink of her as well?”
“I don’t see why you won’t admit to your darker side. Everyone has one…there are just some that are more substantial than the others,” Ameki said with a grin, raising his blades.
Energy blades crossed enchanted steel, light against dark. Ameki and Nova moved as in a dance, blades singing through the air. Nova was quickly overpowered by the demon, wounds sapping her strength, inability to harm Shizumaru sapping her will. Ameki laughed at her as he initiated the Koyami, slicing through her armor. The Muramasa cut towards her he-
I know we held Ameki off. I know no lingering harm came to Cyan or Shizumaru. Stop playing these games and look me in the face.
Unless you’re afraid.
******************
Nova watched idly as Sly quietly slipped out of the kitchen during a lull in the children’s requests…not that she particularly blamed him. She grinned a little as she looked over to where the twins were trying to get Guri to ‘test’ their latest concoction.
“… my limit? I was…stronger…what am I…lacking? I have to...”
Nova looked over to Akira, watching as she muttered and turned in her sleep. Nova closed her eyes for a minute, trying to sense what troubled the young warrior. She cried out as she opened her eyes, leaning over Akira. Nova reached for Akira’s neck…and didn’t feel a pulse.
Is this the best you can do? Her belief wouldn’t allow her to die. Just as mine won’t let me fall to you. If this is the worst you can throw at me, you may as well give up.
I was born from a worse nightmare than this. _________________
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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Neverland Amusement Park was something of a new phenomenon. There were plenty of amusement parks in Japan, particularly in the area surrounding Tokyo, but none of them had that new amusement park shine that Neverland did, as the newest. Sooner or later something newer, shinier, bigger, and better would come along, but until then, Neverland was the king of the hill, or whatever metaphor would be appropriate for theme parks.
So Keitaro was expecting it to be pretty packed there, but even though it was the middle of the day, the place was completely bereft of any sort of activity whatsoever. There was nobody at the ticket gate, so Keitaro just strolled right in.
"KEITARO!"
He flinched involuntarily, having gotten so used to his name being shouted by Su or Sarah immediately preceding some sort of flying jump kick or punch right to the face. But as it turned out, it was just Shirai and Haitani's voices, distorted slightly through a crackling PA system.
"You've neglected our friendship for too long!" Shirai scolded.
Haitani added, "If you want to get us to come back, you're going to have to fight us..."
"AT BUMPER CARS!" they both shouted in unison. The PA crackled again and went quiet.
Keitaro looked at Tama-chan. "Well, bumper cars it is."
***
They were waiting there in the bumper car alley, as they promised they would be. His taller, lanky friend was in one bumper car and his shorter and more plump friend was in another. There was a third bumper car ten paces away. Without a word, Shirai and Haitani gestured towards the third car. Keitaro nodded and sat down in it.
"The one who gives up, loses, got it?"
"I accept your challenge. Shirai! Haitani! I will prove my friendship!"
"READY!" the three shouted as one.
"SET!"
"GO!"
Simultaneously the sound of three bumper car motors starting rang out and the cars darted towards one another. Trying to end it quickly, Keitaro sped straight at the cars of his two friends, though at the last moment he changed his mind and turned hard right, exposing his side to them before he pulled away. Or at least, that was his plan, but because he forgot to buckle his seatbelt, he actually went flying through the air. Straight at Shirai and Haitani.
Not being used to the exceedingly poor luck of Keitaro Urashima, neither of the two of them were prepared for being accidentally hit by a flying body tackle, and so both were smacked straight in the face by Keitaro (Shirai by the top half and Haitani by the bottom half,) which knocked their glasses flying off and caused them to crash repeatedly into one another, being unable to see anything.
Several feet away, Keitaro, used to such random happenings, stood up and looked at where Shirai and Haitani had somehow become tangled up with one another and their bumper cars.
"Go, Urashima," said Shirai.
"You've proven your friendship. Now go find your aunt!"
Keitaro bowed and went off to find his Aunt Haruka.
***
But first, he was hungry, so he went in a nearby convenience store to grab a Snickers bar (because he really didn't feel like waiting.) As he stepped up to the counter to pay, he noticed another customer standing there. His eyes practically popped out of his head, because he recognized his Aunt Haruka right away. She was even still wearing the apron from the tea house.
Haruka rolled her eyes as she looked at him. "Tell you what, buy me a pack of cigarettes and I'll head on home."
"What?" It was almost too much for Keitaro to believe.
"I ran out of money. I need cigarettes. Buy me some and I'll go home."
"Uh, okay..." Reaching into his pocket, Keitaro found that he had enough yen to cover a pack of cigarettes. He handed it over to the cashier and got his change.
"Thanks," Haruka said, lighting up a cigarette as she stepped outside. "You'd better look for Seta and Sarah next."
"Okay." Keitaro blinked, unable to believe it could possibly be that easy. But he didn't have any time to stop and think about it. He had to go track down Seta and Sarah. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Magus Mr. Thou

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Posts: 452 Location: Mount Zozo
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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Cyan Garamonde – 7/1
Too Old For Rock'N'Roll Too Young To Die
This was no dream. He was in Hell – of all places, it seemed to be the most pleasant one until, of course, he met its ruler in person – and then, he wasn’t. The echoes of his laughter rang through his head as the darkness faded away and he found himself in a grim and familiar place.
The world had went mad – the once green fields had turned into desert wastelands, where no man was able to walk and the cities have been destroyed with only a few survivors trying to cling to their lives in despair – and Cyan was right in the middle of it all, in the tower that Kefka had built to please his own insane vanity. He remembered looking at the tower from where he lived, in Mount Zozo, and thinking about the day the two would finally meet – this was his opportunity, he thought, but something was odd.
The place he was in, inside the tower, was empty and there was no sight of anybody else – the azure knight was expecting to be surrounded by several of Kefka’s minions, ready to finish him off – aside from odd steam powered machines and several other strange artifacts that dotted the walls that lead to the elevator. Cyan looked around and carefully walked towards the elevator that would take him to the upper level and pressed the button – with a loud clang, the elevator started to move upwards and he could feel his heart beating faster as he approached his hated enemy’s chambers.
The elevator stopped at the next platform, at the highest level of the tower – the knight could feel the magical energy flowing from within the heavy iron door that lay at the end of the corridor. He was alone, he had no idea where his comrades were – and now that he thought about it, he didn’t know how he had gotten there – but moved forward, and prepared himself for the final battle against the one that had caused him so much grieve in the past. As the iron doors creaked open, he could see nothing but darkness inside – Maduin and Alexander urged him not to enter, but the knight paid no heed to the Esper’s supplicates and entered the dark chambers.
“I will meet you at last, Kefka. What kind of surprises await for me are unknown, however I must avenge all the people whose lives you destroyed.”
Silence.
Cyan stood in the dark for what seemed to be an eternity – he was not sure of where he was standing, or if he was standing on something at all. The Yuzurenai Negai, unsheathed in his hand, emitted a faint blue glow as he waited for Kefka to finally appear before him.
“Show thyself, Kefka! I have waited too long to deliver my vengeance upon you!”
No response.
“Show thyself, coward!”
A wicked laugh echoed through the darkness, and he knew it all too well who that laugh belonged to and the knight grit his teeth and the darkness slowly faded in front of him, revealing the one he’d been looking for – sitting on a throne made of raw stone and machine parts, mostly likely concocted by his insane magical power.
“…you!” Cyan barely managed to say – his heart seemed to be almost coming out of his chest – as he raised his sword and sped towards the mad man. Kefka simply grinned as he did and with a simple motion of his arm threw the knight back.
“Oh my… if it isn’t Sir Cyan of Doma? I thought all of you had died after my little… hmm… how can I say… hostile takeover?”
The wicked man laughed again as Cyan got back up – Kefka hadn’t changed anything from when they last met in the floating continent; the odd make up that was his trademark was still there, as well as his green cape. Basically, he still looked like a court jester – but in his case, a mad and powerful court jester, that used everybody else for his entertainment.
“Silence!” Cyan spat – his anger rising at every second – “I’ll teach you a lesson you shall never forget!”
Cyan leapt towards Kefka, Yuzurenai Negai high in the air, carving a pale blue arc as it descended. Kefka laughed and parried the attack with his mace – the Morning Star -, wrapping the flickering blade around with its chain and throwing Cyan to the ground.
“You’re too old to fight me.” He laughed, as he spun his mace above his head. “You should have retired a long time ago, Cyan!”
The Morning Star smashed the ground beside Cyan – the knight barely managed to dodge it, as his speed and reflexes had been lowered by one of Kefka’s Slow spell. The mad general laughed as he swung his mace around in the air and smashed it against Cyan several times – or at least tried to, as the knight managed to barely avoid his attacks; not that Kefka minded, since he was amused to see the middle aged knight struggling to avoid his attacks.
“What is the matter? Is your old and rusty body tired of playing yet?”
Cyan clenched his fists around Yuzurenai Negai’s hilt as Kefka raised his mace in the air again for another attack and, with a blur of motion, thrust his katana against Kefka’s body as he got up, barely avoiding yet another of Kefka’s attacks. Kefka grinned as the blade bit into his stomach and trespassed his body. Blood poured from his mouth as he stumbled back and laughed – it seemed that he was enjoying it all.
The azure knight hesitated as Kefka stumbled back to his throne, leaving behind a trail of amaranth blood on the ground as he walked, laughing manically at something – Cyan wasn’t sure why. Kefka took a deep breath as he set down, still spinning his Morning Star beside him and looking at Cyan with a mixture of surprise and mockery.
“Do you think your tiny little sword will do anything against me, old fart?” He laughed. “Your body is too old, and your technique is rusty. Do you expect to defeat me using such antiquated style? You should have died along with your wife and child! If that small brat was even yours to begin with.”
Cyan’s mind exploded into silent anger as he ran towards Kefka once again – and cast Safe and Haste on himself just as he leapt to the air and attacked but, before he could get close to Kefka, everything around him shifted and he was not in the dark room again. A gentle breeze struck his face as it changed, and his katana hit nothing but the metal tiled floor – he wasn’t in the dark throne room anymore, instead, he was now in an open location, still inside Kefka’s Tower. From there, he could see almost everything – Maranda, Mobliz, even Nikeah, in the distance. The sun was almost setting, its diffuse light painting the sky with many shades of red and pink, and dark clouds dotted the almost crimson sky in the distance – the last breath of a world that was dying.
Cyan’s eyes widened as he felt something cold and metallic biting into his neck and chocking him, then raising him just above the floor – he could hear him laughing behind him as he tightened the chain around his neck and raised his body. His feet struggling to touch the ground again as he felt his air being taken away from his lungs. Everything around him blurred as he struggled, but Kefka seemed to have inhuman strength and escaping from his grasp was proving to be impossible.
“How do you feel to have your life taken away from you like that?” Kefka laughed as he tightened the chain around the samurai’s neck – Cyan’s bones were almost being crushed by the sheer pressure Kefka was applying – and swung his limp body around and threw him towards the edge of the tower. Cyan’s limp body rolled through the floor as he desperately tried to hold on to something – his weakened reflexes and the pain he felt didn’t help much –, but he eventually stopped a few inches away from the ledge.
So high… the end of the world. From this tower I can see. My own end.
His view was still blurred as the air slowly returned to his lungs and he searched for his sword – where was the Yuzurenai Negai?
I am old… he is not lying. I am lying. To myself.
The knight let out a loud cry as his fingers were crushed by Kefka’s foot , his face wet his saliva that came out from the insane man’s mouth – and he laughed, and blood poured from Cyan’s mouth as the mace connected to his face, almost crushing his skull with the impact (some of it was absorbed by the now faltering Safe spell, that somewhat protected him).
A hit, then another – and another. On his face, his back and his fingers – and he laughed.
I am a disgrace to the royal house. I am nothing but an old relic of times past – there’s no place for an old man like me in the battlefield.
“Giving up yet?” The general cackled as he landed another blow with his mace on Cyan’s back, leaving a rather big dent in his armor. “Too old, too slow. You’re nothing, you hear me? Nothing!” He yelled, attacking Cyan a couple more times, then stopped.
Cyan could only feel Kefka wrapping his arms around his body and pushing him over the ledge, and then letting go – and Cyan, this time, didn’t put up much of a fight.
Flying… my body is…
Cyan, however, never reached the ground below. _________________
"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma.
I am your worst nightmare..."
Many thanks for SlicedBread for the picture! |
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Dry Seeker of Power

Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 116 Location: Seeking Power
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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Geese Howard scowled furiously as he rubbed his nose...though the power of the Jins' Scroll of Immortality was helping to repair the damage Master Chief had inflicted with his devastating punch, it still hurt.
So Geese was busily making his pain into someone else's pain...in this case, a group of angel/demons that had made the mistake of thinking that there was safety in numbers. Now, only one was left alive.
"Hmph. There's nothing in this world or the next that will give you safety from GEESE HOWARD...I'll stain my hands with your blood! Jaeiken!"
Geese charged forward, an aura of blue light surrounding his arms as he slammed his left elbow into the demon's chest, following up with a right palm strike and finishing the chain with a brutal left palm. The demon was knocked off to the ground...before it could recover, Geese reached down, grabbing the demon's throat and lifting it up into the air. The demon thrashed, but Geese's fingers were exerting a great deal of pressure onto sensitive pressure points, rendering the demon helpless. The Overlord smirked, and again his hands began to glow with that blue light...then he spun and slammed the demon to the ground. There was an explosion of blinding blue light, a sharp smell of ozone, and a short scream. And then there was only Geese Howard, standing over the sixth demon corpse and smiling coldly... _________________ Luna
THE PLACE
http://pub88.ezboard.com/bluna83999 |
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Peptuck Total Rat Bastard SOB

Joined: 05 Nov 2003 Posts: 583 Location: On Halo and loving it
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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D +145 hours:12 minutes:44 secinds (SPARTAN 117 Mission Clock)/ Hell
Red was still out of it, and John did what he could to help the younfg fighter. He used a canister of biofoam, the organic spray filling a nasty slice along the man's torso. The cleansing substance would allow red to heal very quickly, though he knew the seond red awoke he'd likely be bitching about the sting. Biofoam treatment was meant t be fast, not painless.
The Chief replaced the partially spent canister and sat back, scanning the area. So far, no demons had come close to him - doubtles sthey were looking for easier and less heavily armed prey. He checked his threat detector, and the froze. A single red blob was en route toward him, moving very quickly.
"He's back," Cortana whispered, and the Chief knew precisely who "he" was. John unslung his shotgun with startling speed and checked the ammunition, before spinning to face the new threat.
Jedah Dohma closed with the Chief, giggling as he approached. The blood demon sized him up once more with that insane look, as if John was mere meat. This time, however, the Master Chief was not unnerved this time. Hehad faced deadly opponents, ranging from te blonde fighter, to the Russians, to the fat woman, and more, not to mention his experience involving the Flood. The Chief glanced at the other demons, and remembered what he had thought earlier.
Compared to the Flood, Jedah and all the other demons were pitiful.
The demon paused, suddenly noting the difference in attitudes. The Chief was not afraid, or even desperate as he had been in the Japanese castle. Behind his helmet, John set his teeth firmly.
The shotgun snapped up into Jedah's face, and the Master Chief leaped at him, covering the distance between the two in a flash and firing the shotgun point blank into Jedah's face. The demon's head exploded satisfyingly, but he repsonded with a flailing lib that threw the Master Chief bac to land heavily near Red. John flipped forward, back onto his feet, in a smooth snapping motion, and took aim.
That was when Jedah simply bent over and launched a stream of acidic blood straight from his open neck wound. The blood splashed over John's shields, throwing him back, but he rolled with the blow and returned to his feet. the shield bar showed barely any damage, since the acid really had no effect on the shield. Jedah, seeming to realize his novel technique had failed, paused, and began to regrow his head.
John refused to let him, charging forward but circling to the left, away from Red, as not to endanger the man. the shotgun barked once, then rwice, pumping 8-guage buckshot intot he demon, but this only caused his blood to explode outward from many small wounds in his torso. Jedah's face and head began to reform, and his insane giggles fileld the air of Hell as he reached behind himself and tore one of his wings off.
"Chief, analysis of that wings shows that it is incredibly sharp!" Cortana warned John, and he easily understood the signifigance as Jedah's head finished regrowing, and the demon charged, swinging the wing like a scythe. The Chief backed off, firing a shot into Jedah's right arm. the arm exploded away, falling limp for an instant, until it regrew. the left arm, however, hefted the scythe and swept it across, aiming for John's head. the Chief ducked below the cut, the blade sparking off his shields right above his head. The Spartan then pumped his shotgun and fired twice into Jedah's left arm, blasting it apart. Blood exploded, and Jedah simply laughed some more as he spun, launching boiling red fluid at the Chief. Instead of rolling away, John jumped forward, opposite the direction Jedah was expecting. The boiling blood splashed over his shields, draining them by half and raising his internal temperature noticably, but he was through the deadly thick liquid in an instant. Even as he landed on his feet, John dropped a hand to his belt and drew a frag grenade. He primed it and tossed it into the gaping, bloody stump of Jedah's arm, and to no suprise, the grenade splashed into the stump and went right into the middle of the blood demon's body mass.
After all, Jedah was just blood, liquid made into a sentiant, smorphous form. An amorphous form with a grenade in the middle of it.
Jedah simply exploded, blasted aprt by the grenade in his chest, torn asunder by the powerful explosive. Bloody shrapnel launched itself outward as Jedah's body was annihilated like a tomato with a bomb inside of it. blood splattered all across the battlefield, staining the ground crimson. Flecks of it sparked off John's shield, but did no damage as it refilled. The Chief let out a sigh of relief, and felt a rush of adrenaline and exultation at the victory.
That lasted only as long as it toom the bllod scattered around the field of battle to begin seeping back together. John watched in fascinated horror as the red stains seemd to gather into one spot, precisely where Jedah had been standing. The blood accumulated, and began to take shape.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The blood splatetred as John emptied shell after shell into it, but the damage did not seem to slow it down in any noticable way. The shotgun ran empty as Jedah's body reformed, regaining its blue skin, overcoat, and horrible, insane eyes. The demon threw back his head and beagn laughing, until the shotgun clattered to the ground and a bolt of plasma from the Covenant plasma rifle scorched the demon's skin.
John nodded grimly as Jedha glanced down at the burn in suprise and confusion. Ordinarily the Chief didn't like the Covenant weaponry, but in this case it would be very useful. Ballistics wouldn't work well against Jedah, but plasma burned; it didn't cause bleeding. Would Jedah regenerate if he was burned to a crisp?
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The Master Chief is engaging Jedah Dohma. Anyone interesed in joining the battle feel free to hop in. _________________ "I need a copy of halo 2. im 14 and u know i play games all day so i can test it fo u. MeGanaXX"
Dearest MeGanaXX,
14 what? IQ points? Months? If you mean years, then we're doomed. Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation better have kept all those WW2 weapons, because they're going to have a battle on their hands when your Hatest Generation of functionally retarded Dew-guzzling molemen tries to take over the world with a combination of idiocy and poor penmanship.
~Letters to the Bungie Webmaster |
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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He was running on foot when suddenly the scenery shifted to come kind of tropical island. Dreaming as he was (and being unaware that he was doing so) this seemed a perfectly normal thing, as tends to happen in dreams. Particularly in nightmare scenarios taking place due to the interference of a powerful third party - in this instance, one universe's Lord of Hell itself. Were Keitaro able to remember that at the moment, he might have decided that he preferred the "celestial campfire" theory of laughing gods to direct interference in his life by malevolent demons.
Not only was it a tropical island, but he seemed to be within some sort of circular copse of trees, in a cleared out portion in the middle. There was a campfire burning in the middle of that, and a thunderstorm raged all around them. How the campfire stayed lit in the midst of that, Keitaro didn't know. But it was very loud and rather dark.
"Hey, part-timer, you found us after all!"
That was Seta, and Keitaro saw that he was tied to a tree.
"Took your time, ya big moron!" Sarah, it seemed, was also tied to a tree.
"We had a little run-in with the natives," Seta explained. He looked rather uncomfortable, his arms were tied so that his hands were behind him, and he was generally unable to move anything save for his head. Sarah was at least tied a bit more loose, with her legs free.
"Natives?"
Before he could say another word edgewise, some men ran out from the trees carrying primitive spears and looking completely the part of the stereotypical tribal men.
"Come you, fight us in game!"
"What?"
But they didn't listen to him, and Keitaro was taken and dragged off for the "game."
***
That was how he found himself in a hut, playing Street Fighter II against some tribal chieftain with whom he had about five words in common. Keitaro was playing Ryu and the chieftain Ken. He wasn't entirely clear on what the stakes of the game were, but he had a feeling it was a pretty typical arrangement, where if he was victorious he'd get to leave with Seta and Sarah and if he lost he'd end up in a boiling hot pot of water.
That last thing seemed familiar to Keitaro but he couldn't put his finger on where he had experienced a boiling hot pot of water recently.
Both he and the chieftain kept trying to Hadoken one another, but their attacks kept hitting one another. This pattern continued, and continued, and continued...
Then Keitaro leaned back on the wooden stool that he was sitting on and somehow lost his balance, which sent him sprawling backwards and caused him to lose his grip on the controller... but not before he bizarrely managed to pull off a Shoryuken right as the round timer ticked to zero, handing himself the victory.
And just as quickly he was cutting down Seta and Sarah.
"You'd better go find Shinobu, part-timer. We'll get ourselves out of here."
So Keitaro went looking for Shinobu.
***
Warped through the world with the same random-movement technique that was used earlier, Keitaro found himself in a house that he somehow knew, without ever having seen it before, was Shinobu's house. Well, the fact that as soon as he got in there, he saw Shinobu and heard plates crashing against walls in the next room.
"They're throwing plates at one another," she said to him as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What can I do to stop them?" Keitaro's inquiry also made it as though the smashing of plates was the most natural thing in the world.
"Whenever they start fighting, the only thing that can make them stop is the part in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure where they tell people to be excellent to each other."
"Do you have the tape?"
Shinobu nodded. "I can't go in there because... because..." The girl sobbed.
"I know. I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, sempai."
Keitaro walked into the room that was the cause of all of the sound and fury. Two couches were overturned, a man behind one and a woman behind the other, and they were, in fact, hurling plates at one another, again as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
He crawled across the floor towards the television and placed the tape in the VCR.
"Be excellent to each other," Rufus intoned on the television.
The plates stopped flying.
"You're my hero, sempai!" Shinobu rushed into the room and flung her arms around Keitaro. "Now go find Su!"
So Tama-chan and Keitaro set off for the Kingdom of Mol-mol, although in fact neither of them knew that was Su's home, but it was nonetheless their destination.
***
The scene flicked yet again, and Keitaro was in the corridor of a modernized airship.
"KEITARO!"
He winced, and this time he was actually greeted by the flying kick to the face.
"What happened to that guy?"
"Oh, I killed him!"
Keitaro fell over. "Really?"
"No, not really! I just scared him off with the Mecha Tamago!"
They both laughed at that. Keitaro had been on the receiving end of plenty of Mecha Tamago assaults. Of course, most other guys didn't quite have the Keitaro Urashima toughness.
In the midst of the laughter, Su slugged him and sent him flying out the window. "GO FIND KITSUNE-YAN!" she shouted after him as he plummeted towards the ground.
"OKAY!"
He was going to do it because he had to. He was Keitaro Urashima and he would not be alone. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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Asuka appeared in a seemingly infinite void of darkness. He wasn't sure if he was
falling or standing still, but the effect was extremely disorientating. "Where am I now?" he asked. No reply. "Shizumaru?" No reply. "Nova?" No reply. "Ralph, anybody?"
"The only people here is you."
"People here is me? Excuse me, but could you please reveal yourself? Do you know where I am? What happened to all of the other sponsors? Why haven't-"
"So many questions. You can answer only one of them, however. You already know who is here." A figure appeared in front of Asuka... only that the person WAS Asuka. Except that this Asuka was dressed in his old HOLY uniform. "You!" he said, with a deranged look on his face.
Asuka recoiled, "What?"
"You were so depressed when the pink haired lady left so soon. It's been so quiet..." a sad look appeared on the fake Asuka's face.
Asuka looked confused. He had no idea what was going on. This person looked like him, but something was different... Clarity came soon to Asuka as he realized who this person was. "You are me. From when I lost to Kazuma."
"Perceptive! You were so happy then..." the grin on his face grew larger, "And you were even happier recently. Death, shuuuu." He sighed as if he were in love with the fact.
"You're... you're no longer a part of me! I can't... be you."
"But you are! Otherwise why would you be here? You are always so happy when you're insane. You have you because you need it. The freedom. Let yourself go..." the fake Asuka finished, almost as if he were a mother telling her son that everything is all right.
"No... I killed people! Innocents! I can't go through that again." Asuka shuddered. He had no clue why he was still here. The alter from the Other Side had helped him banish his insanity before.
"You're still curious, aren't you? Curious, curious, curious. Curiosity killed the cat you know? Satisfaction brought him back though, so I'll tell you. You still have me because you know that the humans aren't innocent," his voice grew more serious, as well it was the first time he had recognized himself in the first person, "Don't you remember?"
Asuka blinked in disbelief. The scenes replayed before his eyes. The church, the bullies being killed, the town rallying against him. Asuka shook his head in disbelief, "No! I was an accident!"
"Weapons that kill don't make accidents. You did what you were born to do - to kill!"
"To kill..." Asuka's eyes lost their color.
~
The nun looked down at the child Asuka. "Asuka... what is the sixth commandment?"
"Thou shall not kill," Asuka replied, happy that he could show off his knowledge.
"You say it, but do you know what it means?" she replied.
Asuka looked befuddled, "It means not to kill people."
"Yes, but why?"
"Uh..." Asuka stopped.
The nun smiled and knelt down to Asuka's level, "Yes, killing is a bad thing. Knowing why is just as important as knowing the commandment, though. You should NEVER take a person's life; what right do you, another human created under the eyes of God, have the right to take the life of another of his creations?'
Asuka nodded.
"Please, remember this." The nun stood up, "While you may be gifted, that doesn't give you superiority over other people. Everyone is equal in God's eyes." The nun walked away.
"Special..."
~
"No... It isn't true! Get out of my head!", Asuka screamed.
"Positive?"
Asuka seemed surprised, "Yes... I want you out. Now."
The fake Asuka only smiled, "You're no fun, but it can't be helped. If you ever want to find me, you know where to look! Buh-bye!" The fake Asuka vanished.
"He left just as oddly as he came." Asuka sighed, "That's insanity for you, I suppose. Like I'll ever want him ba-" Asuka was saying before he stopped. He noticed that the void had been replaced by the shifting colors that formed the Other Side. Looking around, he felt a great sense of peace and tranquility, as opposed to a sense of nothingness he felt before.
"What to do now?" Asuka quietly asked himself. He floated around the area, but he wasn't sure if he was actually going anywhere. Soon, a shape appeared in the distance. Making his way towards it, he could make out its form. An orb. Hurrying over, to the best of his capacity, he eventually reached the object.
"One of my Eternity Eight?" Asuka slowly reached his hand out. When he touched it, the orb flared brightly then disappeared.
Hope
Another figure appeared in the distance. Asuka went over to that, revealing another orb from his alter. He touched the orb, and once again it emitted a bright flash and disappeared.
Love
Another one appeared. One by one Asuka went over to each orb, touching it and revealing another word.
Joy
Sorrow
Pain
Fear
Death
Life
As soon as he touched the final orb, all eight appeared before Asuka. "The elements that make up a human... I see it now." Asuka smiled, "It is time."
-
Asuka woke up. I gotta be flexible. Here's the rest of the post I snipped out, now put back in. I can work with it, especially since others are waking up and breaking free too. -Dar Looking around, he saw Shizumaru, Nova, Cyan, Keitaro, and even Ralph bound on different pillars just as he was.
"So, one managed to live through his fear?", rumbled the demon under the guise of Amethyst. "The job will have to be done the preferred way, then."
"No." Asuka looked up. "You've deceived us long enough. I won't, no, I can't stand for any more!" The Other Side began leaking into Hell then. What first happened was the pillar Asuka was bound to shattered and disappeared into the color field. Secondly, Asuka's alter manifested.
Amethyst laughed, "I've seen what you can do, human. You can do nothing to me, accept your fate and die."
Asuka looked up and smiled, "If I did, Cammy would never forgive me." His bow formed on his left wrist.
Amethyst shook his head, "You can try, but you will fail. Like I said, that weapon can't hurt me."
"I'm not planning to hurt you with it," retorted Asuka. The Eternity Eight took an unexpected turn as instead of forming up in a line inside the bow as usual, they began floating in a circular shape above Asuka's head. The same color as before began to fill the area again...
Amethyst looked slightly shocked, "The human is still able to manifest his power?'
The Eternity Eight shattered. The jade colored dust covered Asuka as the third form of Asuka's Eternity Eight was revealed. Solid green robes formed over Asuka's clothing, covered with some sort of crystal. Asuka's shoes were replaced by the same kind of crystal, as well as his gloves. His bow soon was covered in the green crystal as well, growing to the size of a longbow as it disappeared and slung itself over his left shoulder. Holding a hand out, the crystal covering his hands extended, forming a longsword.
"The Eternity Eight, the controllers of life... the wielder that controls the power of humanity." Asuka looked Amethyst straight in the eyes, "Can't be beaten by some third rate demon." _________________
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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It's getting hot in here (so hot)
So take off all your clothes
I am getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off
Strains of Nelly songs greeted Keitaro as he crashed through the roof of the adult nightclub. Crashing was certainly not his preferred method of entering any establishment, let alone entering a strip club, but he had to work with what he was given, and having just been thrown out of an airship, crashing through the roof of somewhere was most convenient.
Strangely (or perhaps not so strangely,) nobody seemed to notice that he crashed through the roof. Then again, it was a strip club, so everyone else was probably a little bit busy paying attention to other, more jiggly and naked things.
Kitsune was one such jiggly and more naked thing, surrounded by a crowd of wealthy-looking men. Not surprisingly, she was teasing them and resisting their attempts to paw her.
Keitaro took a step towards her, but slipped on a banana peel on the floor, which sent him sliding around the room. As his arms flailed around trying to grasp onto something to stop his momentum, he managed to completely strip half of the women present, then crashed into the bar and ended up shattering several expensive bottles of liquor. He was unceremoniously dumped outside of the place and left on the sidewalk.
"That didn't go very well," he commented to Tama-chan, but not even a second after he said that, Kitsune followed him out the door.
"They fired you?" he asked.
"Nah, too much touching. Hey, even I've got standards."
Keitaro chuckled. Of course, he knew Kitsune just put on a front of being promiscuous. He'd learned better since he first met her.
"What are you sitting around here for, anyway? Motoko's fighting demon hordes in Tokyo!"
"Good point!" Keitaro was off running again.
***
"GODS' CRY SCHOOL! EVIL CUTTING STRIKE: SECOND FORM!"
Keitaro came running up behind the lines of warriors who were fighting demons. All around him, random attack cries were being shouted by assorted warriors with benevolent streaks.
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"
"KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
"HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU -- ARANJI!"
Demons died by the dozens. It was, for the most part, a joke, and Keitaro wasn't even entirely sure why Motoko had to go. Actually, when he stopped to think about it, he wondered why there was such a large demon invasion in Tokyo, but this thought slipped out of his grasp almost as soon as he was done thinking it.
A large turtle demon suddenly came up next to Motoko while she was occupied with several smaller demons. That turtle demon looked familiar to Keitaro, though he could not remember where, lacking his memory of the Thames just yet.
Without any kind of plan whatsoever, Keitaro stepped towards the turtle demon, intending to at least warn Motoko of its presence. But when he looked at it a second time, suddenly it was Naru standing there, and her fist connected with his chin in a vicious uppercut that launched him into a low orbit.
"YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WASTING YOUR TIME DREAMING?!" she screamed at him, and her voice was so loud and irate that he could hear her even as he soared through the sky. "YOU'VE ALREADY CONQUERED YOUR FEAR! YOU'RE NOT ALONE! NOW GO FIGHT THAT DAMN LORD OF HELL! IDIOT!"
Keitaro kept soaring through the atmosphere. He thought, she's right, I'm not alone, and then suddenly the dream went black.
***
Keitaro opened his eyes and he was staring at the Lord of Hell. He remembered it all, suddenly. The entire tournament, the entire of his bizarre nightmare/dream, all of it rushed into his memory and he was armed with the full sum of his experiences to call upon.
For the moment, though he was chained to a pillar of some kind, which he remembered the demon did before sending them all off into that nightmare. What exactly Keitaro could do to defeat a demon, he wasn't exactly sure, but as he'd just proven, he could do plenty to defy a demon, and that, at least, was good enough. For now.
Filled with a sudden swelling of pride at himself for that defiance, he decided to rub that success in. "I am Keitaro Urashima! I am not alone, and I am not afraid!"
The next move belonged to the demon. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Magus Mr. Thou

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Posts: 452 Location: Mount Zozo
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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Cyan Garamonde – 7/2
The Fall
Too old for this. Too old to fight. Too old to be of any use. I used to be a soldier. Soon, I’ll become a rotting carcass waiting to return back to the dust I came from. Where I belong. I am fifty one years old. My sword is no longer as sharp is it used to be. Here, facing my hated enemy, I must fall as a warrior. One last battle before I die. It is all I ask.
“Why don’t you just give up?” Kefka yelled, spinning his mace high above his head menacingly at the knight that insisted in clinging to his life, barely able to hold on to the ledge – his knuckle white as he desperately tried not to fall, even as Kefka smashed the Morning Star against his fingers. He would not falter.
“I shall not let you destroy what’s left of my life.” The samurai managed to say while Kefka pummeled him. “I shall destroy yours, and put an end to your madness!” He shouted, swinging his free arm upwards and grabbing the mace’s chain, and pulling it downwards and the plunged into the air – surprisingly enough, Kefka simply laughed as the two fell.
I will kill you even if this is the last thing I do. I want to see you die when I give my least breath and say farewell to this world you destroyed. You shall taste the steel of my sword!
The Yuzurenai Negai carved a pale blue arc in the air as they fell, opening a gash in Kefka’s pale skin, while the Morning Star smashed against his jaw. Cyan spun in the air due to the force of the impact, but managed to regain control once again, and slashed against Kefka once again, missing his neck for a few inches and then launching a barrage of spells towards him, while casting Shell and Reflect on himself to keep him protected from magical attacks.
You will die here and now. I may be injured and weak, but I shall show you my true strength.
One should not forget, of course, that they were falling from the tower – a very high dive from roughly, thousands of meters above the ground -, but the two, especiallt Cyan, didn’t stop fighting and continued to maim each other ruthlessly as they fell. The knight had the upper hand, always seizing the opportunities he had to attack, although he didn’t seem worried about his defense, as the Morning Star repeatedly smashed against his face and body.
You will pay for what you have done! For Elayne! For Owain! You will pay!
And he slashed, upwards, then downwards – and blood spurt from the insane man’s body in crimson red, but he never stopped laughing, even after Cyan landed his last blow, tearing open his throat.
And he closed his eyes and smiled.
I now embrace death. I am now free.
But then, the reality around him shifted once again and he opened his eyes – not quite dead, and quite not in heaven. He was in Hell. _________________
"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma.
I am your worst nightmare..."
Many thanks for SlicedBread for the picture! |
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Helmar Brilliant Reflection

Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Cephiro
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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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Nova was once again in the Forest of Silence. She looked around, hoping to get her bearings. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the general area, and the sun was beginning to set. The problem in the Forest was that it was an ever-shifting maze; and in the Forest even magical devices wouldn’t function, including compasses. Even Mokona was nowhere to be seen.
Shrugging, she picked a direction and began to walk. Avoiding the monsters she came across, she put several miles of forest behind her. She was just about to start to look for somewhere to hole up for the night as she came across a clearing. Eyes widening as she saw what inhabited the clearing, she slowly backed away…
…but the monster saw her anyway. The bird looked like a nightmare image; five times the size of a human, it had several more eyes than normal, a long lizard-like tail, a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and only one enormous taloned foot. The real reason Nova was so afraid though, was that this monster couldn’t be killed by physical attacks…and in the Forest of Silence, magic wasn’t an option.
Nova broke out into an all out run as the bird flew at her, talons grasping. As fast as she ran, she couldn’t manage to put any distance between them. The bird was actually managing to close the distance, bit by bit. Nova shook her head, knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to get away.
Suddenly reversing her direction, Nova ran straight at the monster. If she couldn’t get outrun it, maybe she could incapacitate it long enough to put some more distance between them. Nova summoned her swords, leaping towards the bird…
…except her swords never materialized. Nova never had figured out whether her swords suffered from the same restriction as that on magic in the Forest. The monster tore out a large chunk of her shoulder, flinging her against a tree. Nova slumped towards the ground, and watched as Ralph walked out of the underbrush. Nova tried to warn him, but everything seemed so distant…
Seeing the situation, Ralph tucked away his small device. Dozens of streamers of red paper shot out towards the bird, impaling it. Ralph hurried over to Nova, never seeing the bird’s wounds close as its beak swept towards him…
You still don’t get it, do you?
****************
They peered into the room, seeing several ninja and a large brute advancing towards three tied-up figures, holding…two stone fish? Regardless of the ornaments’ prior use, they probably doubled as clubs quite nicely. Nova looked at the figures; in a short row sat Keitaro, a raccoon, a walrus, and a squirrel. Nova looked at Asuka with a raised eyebrow. Asuka pointed towards Mokona, signaling for a previously made plan.
Before they could act, the brute slammed both fish in front of him as he shouted “Genbu SMASH spies!”
The two stone fish struck Keitaro and Sly, insta-
Genbu? You’ve got to be kidding me.
***************
Nova had returned to Cephiro…the Cephiro of one year ago. Broken stone was the entirety of the landscape, the sky a deep stormy grey. A dozen feet before her stood a tall, silver-haired man in a form-concealing green and white robe…one Nova knew well.
Eagle Vision.
Suddenly noticing Nova, he dashed towards her, igniting the energy blade attached to his right wrist. Nova barely managed to block his first strikes. Taking a few steps back, she lowered her swords.
“E-Eagle? Please…please stop. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know any better…I thought I was only helping Hikaru.”
Eagle didn’t pause as he continued his attack, beating Nova’s blades aside. Nova leapt into the air as he slashed with his sword at waist level, landing several feet away.
“I know better now, Eagle. I promise you…I promise that I’ll never make the same mistake again.”
Eagle rushed at her again, though his movements seemed to slow a little. Nova whirled away as he approached.
“So please stop, Eagle. No matter which of us wins this fight, Hikaru will only suffer more.”
He stood motionless, head bowed as Nova took his hand in two of hers, turning off his energy blade as she stared into his eyes.
“I think that I finally understand.”
************
She stood in the middle of a starry void, hovering weightlessly in place. Floating in front of her was…herself. The image moved as she did, mimicking her movements flawlessly. Nova thought on this for a moment, then nodded, finally admitting the truth to herself.
“Maybe…maybe I should have listened to my own advice as I spoke to Akira. My own worst fear…is me. My doubts, my fears, and my sorrows.”
The mirror figure bowed, disappearing as the void shattered into thousands of fragments, revealing that Nova stood at the gate of Emeraude’s castle on Cephiro. An enormous structure formed of three crystal towers, it was known to be the most breath-taking sight on Cephiro; second only to the gardens surrounding it. The sight before her, however, put the castle down to a distant second.
Standing in front of her were Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu in full armor.
“I’m glad you were able to see the truth, Miss Nova.” Fuu smiled as she said this, setting her five-foot longsword on the grass in front of Nova.
“I knew you could do it all along. Now go on and show that demon what you guys are really made of!” Umi winked at Nova as she crossed her rapier atop Fuu’s weapon.
Nova looked at Hikaru as she stepped forward. She opened her mouth to finally apologize, only to have Hikaru lay a finger against her lips.
“Even if I haven’t been around, if I haven’t been able to hear you…I think by now you know what I would say, know what you yourself have been saying.” Hikaru briefly embraced Nova before she reached down to lay her broadsword atop the other two weapons, then stepped back.
The Knights waved to Nova…and then they were gone. She stared down at the weapons, noticing the final clue. Water, Wind, Fire. Ameki’s words echoing through her mind, Nova suddenly knew that what Debonair had said was wrong. She hadn’t created her ‘gift’ to Nova.
She turned, and bowed to the figure before her. An enormous wolf, coat flickering like rays of light shining off gold, stood in front of her…Mokona sitting by one of its paws. The wolf stared at Nova as it addressed her.
Legendary Magic Knight. You have passed the trial of light in these worlds of darkness... I recognize the strength of your feelings for your friends as proof. You bear the armor and weapons whose strength is that of your own. You have proven to be possessed of the strength of heart to become a Magic Knight.
Now call on my name, that I might lend thee my aid.
Nova summoned her energy blades. Slowly turning them over in her hands, she watched the sunlight play on the blades beneath the flaring energy. She crossed them above her head, and shouted…
*****************
Nova stood motionless by the pillar. Chains bound her tightly to it, a strip of cloth blindfolded her. Nova’s lips twitched as she struggled to force words through a paralyzed throat. She shouted, voice echoing in the vast chamber, rapidly raising in volume and power.
“Regalia! Rune-God of Light!”
A blinding golden light shined down on Nova, concealing her from sight. Broken links of chain burst from the light, hailing the area around it. Nova stepped from the pillar, ribbons fluttering through the air as she moved.
Nova was no longer wore Hikaru’s armor. She was now dressed in a loose gown of pink that faded to white, flowing around her as she moved. Her side, right shoulder, waist, and right hand were covered in crimson armor edged in gold; a golden emblem of the sun rested on her chest. Ribbons hung from twin swords in her hand, slowly fading away as they fluttered in the breeze.
She saw Asuka and Keitaro facing Amethyst. Apparently she hadn’t been the only one to break free of the illusions. She hefted her swords, eyeing them evenly. The hilt and guard were ornate, crafted of crimson and gold; the blades looked like nothing so much as golden fire, slowly flickering. She knew this sword…and knew what it meant.
She had finally come to understand herself. She wasn’t just a fragment of Hikaru’s soul anymore, was no longer a shadow of the Magic Knight of Fire…she had been born from the collected feelings of all the people of Cephiro. She had her own power. She had her own life.
She had her own soul.
She no longer simply mimicked Hikaru’s form and power, but possessed her own as the Magic Knight of Light. Actually, she now knew had always known this…but had never admitted it to anyone, much less herself. In Cephiro, that belief had altered reality to the point of twisting the nature of her mashin, making it become the Rune-God of the Devil.
In her hands she held all the proof in the world.
Or rather, all the Proof of the world. She recognized the Proof of the Pillar for what it was. It would shift itself to whatever form most suited its current wielder; it had been the crown of Princess Emeraude, and Hikaru had been the last to bear it in the form of a golden broadsword. The Proof could only be held by those whose strength of heart was great enough to support Cephiro itself.
Nova suddenly spun around, blades flashing through the air as they sliced through the pillar…which slowly toppled with an earth-shaking crash. Nova turned, dust flying up in a cloud behind her.
She could feel the struggles of the others, of the direction of their believing. Nodding to herself, Nova gave a mirthless grin as she rose her eyes. Slowly walking towards the possessed mage, she spoke in an even tone.
“Nice try, demon. Now come, and face us yourself. You’ve shown us our worst fears…”
Nova brandished the Proof and nodded towards Asuka and Keitaro; crystal the color of jade glittering softly in the light of her swords, a determined cast to Keitaro’s face. “…and have only made us stronger for it.”
She stopped beside Asuka and Keitaro, staring Amethyst in the eyes. She could see the harsh glint of the Lord of Hell’s eyes…as well as a small shard of gentleness that gave her hope.
“Now it’s our turn.” _________________
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Dareon 1.5% Margin of Error

Joined: 08 Jul 2002 Posts: 342 Location: Alaska, you fools! Stop being surprised!
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:02 am Post subject: |
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The First Stage has ended.
There will now be a 6 hour break. Go get some sleep or something. You all can of course keep posting and voting, this is just an official separator to let the finalists get some sleep if they like. |
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CarlyCheeese Scarlet Rain Silence

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 1202 Location: Koka-In Temple
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:04 am Post subject: |
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Hisame Shizumaru - 7:2
He hadn't conceded - not yet. By the state he was in, though, he was sorely tempted to give in, if only for the fact that he could still hear Gohan's screams of torture echoing down stone halls, reaching his ears and locking themselves inside. Shizumaru wasn't sure what they were doing to the girl, but given from the agony she sounded like she was going through, he wasn't sure at all that he wanted to know. Their torture stopped for a moment, and he heard the geisha's tears through her dry sobs - wordless words, pleading for a release... but Shizumaru couldn't decide on what to do, still. Either way he couldn't make a decision, because either way, someone would be hurt...
Rimururu was gone.
If not for Gohan, Shizumaru perhaps would have already conceded to Yuga's demands. As it was, though, chained to a stone wall with his hands over his head (Yuga, apparently, was 'intrigued' by the position), and with an uncomfortably cool breeze wisping through by a small window to the wall on his right - uncomfortable in more than one way - there was nothing Shizumaru could do for himself but try to come to a conclusion... one propogated by Gohan's screams. Not that it hadn't been agonizing and tearful to see her before, but in some ways it was worse in not being able to see what was happening - he didn't know what kind of condition she was in. From her leg, arms, and abdomen, though... it was a miracle that Gohan had managed to stay alive so long, regardless; even if her life was hanging by a thread, one woven by Yuga.
It was almost pitch dark in the cell Shizumaru was in, and thankfully he couldn't see what had been done to himself in the moments after the terrifying scene in Kamui Kotan's ruins. He had been taken in exactly the same condition as when Yuga had been twisting the marionette strings that he had around Gohan - defenseless, clothesless, and, it so felt, emotionless. It wasn't as though he hadn't been hurt either; quite the opposite, and the cuts still burned... but more of that he had been slowly becoming desensitized to Gohan's torture. It still hurt to hear her shriek and howl in agony, but it had been going on for so long that his pity was slowly dwindling. Shouldn't more attention be focused on him, who was inadvertantly forcing her pain to go on - or did Yuga just want her to die? Shizumaru bowed his head, closing his eyes (a pale glimpse of moonlight had flooded into the room, and he was not content on seeing his battered, naked form right about then), and shut them tightly in bitter helplessness.
He opened his eyes again slowly, some time later, when he heard the rattling of the cell wall that kept him from sure escape. He looked up to see a woman there before him - tall, somewhat buxom, with short black hair and two swords of different lengths hanging at each hip. She turned her head to face Shizumaru, and his attention was caught, slightly, by her eyes - the left was bright red, and the eye on the right was a pale blue. He had heard of the woman time again and before, but never imagined seeing her - the woman whom Yuga had chosen to be his Han-in no Onna, the woman known only as Shiki; 'the colored seasons'. Her face was utterly dead of emotion, and her head lolled idly from side to side as she slowly crossed over to him. "Mou, konaino... sayonara," she mumbled. "Another of the path... farewell."
Shizumaru said nothing - it was well enough not to ponder the meaning of Shiki's words. Her head lolled around again, and she scratched an idle itch on her face, her strange eyes falling back to Shizumaru once again. "You are Master's Hanyo no Otoko. I shall proceed as he wished," her voice was drained of all emotion as well - as far as Shizumaru could see, she had become simply a vague shell of a person... as if she were a copy of the original, but only painted on wax paper, so that the figure had melted away. Her eyes turned to the moonlight as it lit up her eyes, and she slowly walked foward in front of Shizumaru, still emotionless.
She held her hands up to her chest, and slowly removed one of her white gloves, dropping it to the floor - and she did exactly the same with the other glove. After that was the broad pink sash that held the two pieces of her outfit together, and as she pulled gently on the sash (but evenly to the point where it seemed far too rehearsed), letting it too drop to the floor. She unsnapped the collar of her black coat, letting it fall off of her shoulders, and carefully removed the sheer blue silk gauze that covered her chest and waist. After stepping out of her heeled boots, she was wearing nothing at all - fully accented by the moonlight - and Shizumaru blushed, trying to look away. Shiki reached toward him, turning his head back to her, but he still refused to look at her body.
"Are you ashamed?" she asked. "Such a word cannot exist for the Otoko and his Onna. Or is it that you are still deciding...?"
"I am," Shizumaru still couldn't bring himself to look at her. "... I cannot give myself away when my heart still belongs to someone else, besides. I promised long ago that I would give her that - and I intend to follow through, even if I have to wait until I die to do so."
"I see." Shiki lowered her head for a moment - but then approached Shizumaru, reaching out for him, and holding his chin in her hand. She leant forward, deeply kissing the young man as far as her tongue would let her, but there was no passion in her touch, and certainly no love for him in her heart, if there ever was. Her fingers slid down his skin, tracing over old scars and new cuts, and her eyes scanned his body, appraising it on the physical level, as all she knew how. "Minor injuries. Other than that, you ought to be perfectly capable of proper copulation. Shall I begin?"
Shizumaru was about to protest, but at that moment, he heard another earsplitting cry from Gohan, which ended in another outbreak of hoarse tears. His eyes softened at her torture, and it was then that he nodded slowly, prompting Yuga's servant to continue her task, in her unnervingly cold fashion. Her same cold fingers raked over his chest, with no feeling behind them, and no regard for his senses - though either Yuga had searched his mind for what tickled his fancy most, or Shiki happened to know just how to arouse him, for what she was doing felt shamefully pleasurable. Gently sucking on an earlobe while her fingertips brushed over nubs of skin, sliding her thigh on top of his and leaning in, tilting her head back in what she had probably assumed was the right way to perform in such situations.
Even though the sensations were dizzying, Shizumaru tried to keep up his own mind, and even seeing as how his body quivered under hers (beyond his control), he closed his eyes, wondering out loud, "... Will I become a puppet - ahh - " that felt entirely too good to be legal, " - ah... like you, if - if we manage to - "
Shiki stopped her motions, and turned her blue-red eyes to Shizumaru, as he dared to stare at her (albeit, with eyes clouded from longing lust, but he wasn't thinking much about that). "The Han-in no Onna belongs to the Hanyo no Otoko. What they share shall become one, and the one shall become Master Yuga. That is the circle that both are involved in, and what one does, the other cannot escape." Blankly, she continued stroking his chest with one hand, reaching down to caress a hip with the other, and eased herself back into her rhythm - until she was stopped by Shizumaru once again.
"I refuse," he growled. "I will not let him use me and change me like he's done to you. You're a puppet, controlled by his will - don't you realize that? Didn't you have a life before Yuga came into it and stole it all away from you? I swear he will never take my mind away," Shizumaru wriggled about, prompting Shiki to step from him (and out from him, as well), "because I already had my memories lost once before... and I will not lose them again."
"... I have thought about it. I come close, sometimes... but there is nothing there to see," Shiki nodded, blank enough to not even to bother covering herself up in the moonlight. "Whatever past I had has been erased. I am merely this now. Serving Master has been... harsh... but there is nothing to doubt uner his rule. Everything is for certain, and there is no possibility of forgetting your place. I have mine. You have yours. I, the Han-in no Onna. You, the Hanyo no Otoko. That is what the stars tell us, and what we then must follow."
"If you think for one minute I will let that bastard take away the memories of the girl I love," Shizumaru's anger dared to grow in his prison hell, "then I know who will be dying. I concede," he bowed his head solemnly, inviting himself to Shiki again, "... I concede to kill him. The one life that I can take where none save himself need be lost - and I don't care if I'm a demon or not, but it never mattered before. I swear I will not let myself become the nothing you are!!" he shouted -
- and everything changed, as his eyes snapped open.
He had been tied to one of the majestic white pillars of the warped Hell he and the others had been caught in, and as his eyes came alive, an enormous explosion of lightning burst from the sky, shattering the pillar in a rain of blood. Shizumaru gripped his umbrella tightly, facing the Hell's Lord in the form of Amethyst. He knew of the mage and his reputation in the very tournaments that had changed his life, as it had changed the wizard's, indefinitely - would either of them have regretted their decision? In Amethyst's case, it had led to his possession, whereas for Shizumaru, it had led to the awakening of his demon - but even that, in itself, was a minor blessing.
Too much had changed for him to let go in those two years since Kaiki's invitation and Daisetsu's abduction - not only the awakening of Ameki, but the discovery of a universe that was willing to accept him, even if his world didn't; the pure love of one girl who looked beyond the pain and the demons, and saw a young man lost and looking for guidance - a young man who, in the end, would become her own pillar of strength and survive off of the figure that he had become. Travelling from town to town, exorcising the evil that flooded his homeland so that no one would have to suffer as he and Gohan had -
He had become someone else, and would never let go of the memories that gave it to him.
He stood beside Nova, facing the possessed Amethyst in front of him, now brandishing the Muramasa - which had set a look of fire-lust in his eye, searching for blood to spill over the conflict that he had been drawn into. Nova grasped her swords, and looked to him for more of the gentleness that he radiated - it was still there, but his eyes were set with the moment and with a determination that surpassed what he had ever fought for before in his life.
"For Kazama-san and Nova-chan...
For Mint-ojou and Alma-san...
For Zack-san and Tachibana -
- For Gohan and Rimu -
You will never take away this life!!"
-- _________________
. . . . . . . . . . . . Credo quia absurdum non credere. . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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CarlyCheeese Scarlet Rain Silence

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 1202 Location: Koka-In Temple
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:09 am Post subject: |
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Ay caramba; maybe I should mention this, I'm not going to be here for most of the second phase, due to, a, er... plane flight or two. XD; So if you see me missing there conspicuously, that's what's happening. |
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Wayne Retiree

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 440
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:09 am Post subject: |
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End 7a-1 - Infierno
Sort of a flashback, but not. Just a way to tie-in something, and get the story rolling one last time, more or less. (Apologies for the length. This was originally two posts-- you can tell by the break-- and circumstances split by time such that I decided just to wait until the six-hour break, and then post both.
---
Culex levitated a meter or so off the ground, arms and legs crossed, meditating. His eyes were closed, although his other five senses worked normally, and after some time he heard footsteps as someone approached him.
"I am surprised the devil did not take you with him, Mr. Cooper." said Culex, not opening his eyes, as the thief approached.
Sly grinned, although a close flyby from another demonspawn caused his beady eyes looking around cautiously from under his mask. "I might be a thief, but I don't think I'm going to meet the Devil when I finally get caught."
"Well said." replied the Vandan, and he lowered his legs to the ground, opening his eyes. "What brings you to me? My crystals are, unfortunately, rather attached to me, and I do not carry any Quartz Charms; I simply create them when the need arises."
The thief made a feeble attempt at looking innocent. "What, me, steal? I'm--"
"...here because you have suddenly found that more difficult." interrupted Culex, but he didn't seem upset. "Ah... as one who has spent most of his life on one quest... I can respect a mortal who puts his fleeting years to the mastery of an art. ...even a less than honorable one."
"I'm right glad to hear you won't be smiting me then, Mr. Knight." the raccon replied lightly, mimicking his polite tone. Then he grew more serious. "Actually, Keitaro told me about you... he said you could see the future and stuff like that."
"Among other things."
"Heh, OK." He looked skeptically up at the much taller Dark Knight. "...what do you see?"
"You meeting with the Devil. But do not worry, you'll win." replied Culex evenly, and Sly held back a laugh.
"No, really. What do you-- ack!"
As he was speaking a winged creature dropped its angelic disguise and swooped down, talons outstretched to rake at Sly; but the thief's reflexes put him in good stead and he dropped and rolled out of the way, and sprang back up to his feet acrobatically as the devil prepared for another attack.
"Aren't you going to--" began Sly, but the Dark Knight, eyes softly glowing, summoned a bright-red crystal into the air in front of him. With a wave of his hand he transformed it into a long, red-hot crystalline spear, and handed it to the thief. "You've got to be kidding me." He shook his head and sighed, as the fiend made another attack run; Sly curled and dodged out of the way, and Culex casually turned his head to one side as the devil glided past, circling once again.
The thief looked up at Culex, who was gazing upward himself, gleaming eyes following the fiend's flight path. Sly glared and clenched his hands tighter on the spear's shaft-- wincing as he did so, it was still hot-- and leaned up to watch his sudden enemy prepare to attack again.
With an abyssal shout the devil attacked one last time, diving downward... but Sly, faster, hopped backward, and jabbed up with a rapid strike of the elemental spear. Fiery energy exploded in a cascade of light and charred cinders of bone and membrane from its wings fell to the ground.
"Very good." said Culex simply, unsummoning the Fire Crystal.
"What," the thief muttered, "May I ask was that about?!"
The Dark Knight's eyes dimmed. "I was seeing the future. You met with the devil, and you defeated one."
"But that's--" he opened his mouth, and stopped. "I mean, it's--" he shook his head, "I don't... OK, let's say-- for the sake of argument, alright?"
"Alright."
"...sake of argument, that you can see the future. OK... how are Keitaro and the others doing?"
"Ah." began the Vandan, eyes beginning to brighten once again, "That surprised me. I did not see you thinking of your comrades before you did your goal of treasure."
"Heh, really?"
"Indeed. ...my vision is not all-encompassing, and it is not absolute, at least as regards the future. What has not yet been written can always be erased from the page, as the sayings go."
The raccoon nodded. "Logical enough. Go on."
Culex closed his eyes, to better concentrate. "...he has... they have... temporarily been subdued, and attacked telepathically. By this point they have resisted, and will doubtlessly counterattack... oh. No, no, that will not do...."
He opened his eyes and began looking around, peering past and seemingly through Sly, around the area. The thief cleared his throat. "Um... what's 'No, no, that will not do?' And what kind of 'telepathic attack?' You mean like mind control?"
"To the latter question, no, it was more like pyschological torture, designed to break or kill a mortal under its strain... probably the emotion of fear."
Sly began to visualize a spartan, dirty jail cell populated with intelligent guards and-- worst of all-- unbreakable security. He shuddered. And that was a fear any thief had; he wasn't even trying.
"Yes. I find it odd I was not asked to go along with them, given that...."
"Is there anything you can do?" asked Sly, turning around to look pointedly at the marble staircase, ascending countless heights.
Culex crossed his arms, looking upward. "...no. I promised Ralph that when I joined I would not use my powers to cross him. I was not asked to ascend, and I shall not."
Sly's eyes widened. "But they're--"
"Their futures show a great chance of their surviving. ...most of the six, at least."
"...wait." murmured the raccoon, going back over their conversation. "If you were worried after that vision, then...! It's Keitaro, isn't it? ...of course it is. Without me or Drizzle or whatever his name was looking out for him...."
"There is a chance he will not die." replied Culex firmly, and he began to walk away. "I am as displeased by that knowledge as you are, but what is done is done. I will not cross the man I have agreed to serve. A Knight never breaks his vow."
"Man." replied Sly, crossing his arms in turn. "You might be a Knight, OK... but listen. I'm a thief, and I still know to take care of my friends. That's more important than any law."
Culex glanced over, eyes so dark only a smolder of red appeared from that. "Never speak to me of your law, Mr. Cooper. Unless you are prepared to challenge me to prove it."
The raccoon growled, and tensed his hand on his cane... but he knew better. He wanted to help his friend, certainly; but he was a pragmatic creature, and he could help no one if he lost a fight against Culex.
The Vandan nodded, and left. His eyes began to regain their color as he did... he had had no wish to challenge Sly... because he knew that the scoundrel was right.
---
"Mr. Soe?" said Culex, walking toward the bruised and battered young man, slumped against a pearly gate, blood from a few new fresh wounds trickling from cuts on his face and arms.
"H-hey." the boy stammered, and straightened as tall as he could... which was perhaps another inch.
"What sort of torture have you been exposed to here?" asked the Vandan, as he summoned his Water Crystal, which slowly began to heal the worst of his injuries.
"Heh, w-well... most of them aren't from here. I, uh... I," he coughed, "...like the pain. So I ask people to hit me. And," he wheezed suddenly, then coughed again, "T-they take things a, a little too far."
"That, I can see." Culex waited for the crystal to finish, then unsummoned it-- it hadn't healed him completely, or in fact even halfway; but the boy at least looked more alive than dead. "...I understand that you carry a collection of some sort, of gear from your world?"
"Y-yeah, in my PERC." He looked up. "Why?"
"I would like to contact a... friend of mine."
Jason nodded. "Oh, OK. So... I've got my laptop in here for calculations... it could probably do e-mail, but I don't think that'll work in Hell. Morse code machine? No... mirror? Tinder for smoke signals?"
"No. A camera."
The young alchemist stared, then nodded. He reached into the PERC, and after a moment drew out a modern-looking digital camera, with exceptional zoom, ideal for making records of any experiment. "EM72X." Jason said proudly. "When you go into extra dimensions with all sorts of strange things happening... I can't leave him without it."
"Or," added Vader, strangely in his natural greyhound-like form, "...in the vain hopes his lady loves of the past will show up again."
Jason's face reddened, but he quickly shook it off. "So anyway, camera. What did you need it f--"
His voice trailed off as Culex took it from his hand and placed it delicately down on the ground, facing upward. He crossed his arms and waited, staring at it.
And waited.
And waited.
"Um," said Jason, after several awkward minutes, "...I'm not sure what you're trying to do... but maybe you could take the lens cap off?"
Culex started to reply, then said nothing; looking oddly at Jason, and then down at the camera. Then, "...oh. Capital idea." He stooped down and flipped up the lens covering.
For a few moments nothing happened. Then....
A light, dim at first, appeared in the digital camera. Then it spilled outward into a cone, and stopped about ten feet in the air... a shimmering arc of light suspended in midair.
Two dots appeared in the light suddenly, then they grew larger. Then there were two leather soles, and then the tips of two stylish leather boots, tops flipped down to about the ankle, appeared, and then legs. Long, smooth and fair-skinned legs, and after several moments of Jason simply staring the rest of a gorgeous, brown-haired woman appeared.
The tips of her boots tapped the ground, and the light from the camera suddenly stopped, as though a light was switched off. She reached out with one arm, resting the other under her chin; while she leaned back, legs equally apart to support her weight; and a cloud of rose petals erupted around her.
There was a repeated, dull smack of Culex clapping two crystalline hands together. "Magnificent, Lady Peorth, as always."
"You, Monsieur Culex," she said airily, still posing, "Are just saying that to flatter me."
"Truth." replied the Vandan dryly, and the woman pouted. "And you might consider standing up straight again. I am afraid this mortal Jason here has lost a great deal of blood, and if any more escapes from his nose we might lose him."
"Oooh!" said Peorth, flying in one quick motion to hover behind Jason, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, reaching up with one hand and dabbing at his nose with a magically-appearing handkerchief. "Such a cute one, n'est ce pas?"
Culex sighed as what little blood remained in the young man rushed to his cheeks. "Lady Peorth... you sent me a vision earlier, or at least someone did on your behalf. I trust it was important?"
"Always business before pleasure with you, oui?" Nevertheless she released her hold on Jason, who stumbled forward, in shock; and floated back toward Culex. Her tone grew more serious. "But I do understand."
"I am glad." replied the Vandan, eyes beginning to lighten. "I have already witnessed the 'Le Splendiloquent Peorth' routine... twice."
She grinned. "You complain, yes, but that means you never forget, hm?"
Culex finally sighed, shaking his head. "I thank you for bringing a measure of levity here, Lady Peorth. It... is a trying time for many of the mortals here."
She nodded. "Heaven is Hell, and...." She paused. "...well, talk like this demands proper atmosphere, non?"
The Dark Knight crossed his arms. "What did you have in mind, Lady Peorth?"
Her brown eyes twinkled. "Tea, of course. You and I, s'il vous plait, if you would."
Culex nodded. "Yes. Follow me, then... there is no truly quiet place here, but one easily defensive position allows the Crystals to suffice."
She smiled. "Bien sur, of course. And let's not tarry, Culex... there is much to say and little time."
---
Of course, though Peorth advised haste; she wouldn't speak before Culex had prepared some tea for her, and with the Knight summoning a table, chairs, glasses, and even a parasol from the land's hellish denizens, their hastily-set meeting spot appeared more like a shelter at the beach, or perhaps a resort.
"We cannot afford to pay much attention to iterations of 'Hell' besides Nifelheim." explained Peorth, taking a sip of expensive French tea that, to the exclusion of more proper belongings, she had taken with her. "Most of the time, ca ne fait rien, it is of no concern. But this time...."
"Many persons from a multitude of times and places were suddenly drown into 'a' Hell... which would naturally cause great alarm in 'Heaven.'" Culex replied to Peorth's offer a toast with a polite tap of their teacups.
"Exactement. Yggdrasil was aware of problems, yes... but just how dire they were surprised us all."
"Your friends," Culex pointed out, "Are related to the 'Norn,' the Fates. Did no one sense this?"
"Did you?" replied the goddess sharply, and her tone evened. "Désolé. But, no, no one knew. Until, of course, it was too late... and 'Ralph-chan,' as Belldandy called him, had you here."
"I see." He took another sip. "But why are you here? To stop him?"
Peorth paused, and she sadly, slowly lowered her cup to the table. "...no. No. The protest went through all proper channels and it was rejected. I am not even supposed to be here... the orders from On High are to 'Let the demons sort out their own problems.'"
Culex nodded. "It is understandable. This conflict will have little impact on the rest of existence... it is logically better for one devil to defeat the other and then, if necessary, deal with the survivor afterward."
The goddess slammed a leather-gloved hand on the table in a rare flash of anger. "Je ne crois pas, no! There are human beings that I, Peorth, Goddess First Class, Type II Unlimited, am supposed to protect, at risk!"
"Human beings like Keiichi?" replied Culex coldly, and Peorth stiffened. "I have never seen you attempt to save a life with the same amount of zeal you invested in seducing that mortal."
"I only wanted them to be happy." replied Peorth, slumping back in her chair. "I didn't think they... well, Belldandy thinks of love differently than I."
"You have been wrong before, Lady Peorth." Culex abruptly stopped to take another drink of his tea, then continued. "Did you not stop to consider that perhaps your superiors... far wiser than you... could perhaps be right?"
"I did." she said softly, but she lifted her chin, rested as it was on her folded hands, upward, meeting the Vandan's eyes. "...but as I had prepared to close the file, 'quel dommage,' and try to forget... a prayer came in. Straight to me... at the main helpline."
"A prayer?" repeated Culex, and Peorth nodded.
"We prefer to call them 'wishes,' naturellement, a goddess must be 'politically correct'...."
"Of course."
"...but I received it myself."
"Is it that rare?" asked the Vandan, taking the chance to refill his teacup.
"Excusez-moi," said Peorth proudly, "But I am a Goddess First Class, creme de la creme of the Earth Assistance Hotline! Not just any little request can go through to me." When she noticed that Culex was indeed paying sufficient attention, she explained, "...but the prayer was from one Mademoiselle Naru Narusegewa... does that sound familiar?"
A nod. "It does indeed. ...so, because Keitaro Urashima is also here, and in fact one of the victims...."
She smiled. "It is so. She prays often, Naru... it surprised me, too. But although she is-- how did he put it? A 'violent tomboy?'-- she is very worried about him, being gone for so long. She was..." she paused, and then could think of no better way to say it. "...she was very sad."
"Another mortal here spoke with me about Keitaro." said Culex, and he shook his head. "I promised Ralph that I would not interfere. I will not--"
"If you do not, he will die!" she snapped, again keeping her anger under control; her voice barely rose, although her hands were shaking.
"He has survived a great deal so far. And even if he is unable to survive... he should have considered that before he agreed to leave." His eyes darkened. "I could have gone in his place, had there been danger. But he chose to meet it on his own."
"He didn't know there would be." returned Peorth, and she sighed. "Culex... Ralph-chan didn't need you. I think that he knew, at least deep down, le couer, what was going to happen." She stopped, gathering her thoughts; Culex had long forgotten his tea and tapped his crystal fingers on the table, waiting for her to finish. "You don't have anything to prove, Culex... everyone knows how strong you are, just like all the goddesses know who I am." She grinned slightly. "But Keitaro-chan is still a man, just like Keiichi... they have to find a way to prove themselves. That's what boys do." she finished, half to herself, remembering the conversations she had overhead between Keiichi and Belldandy, the goddess he loved.
"And many 'boys' die in that attempt... human, and Vandan. There is always a risk."
"If you were Keitaro," Peorth said simply, "...would you have gone?"
"In an instant."
"Oui. But he is not you, and you can help him."
Culex again shook his head. "A vow is a vow. I promised him that I would not interfere, and I--"
In one rapid motion Peorth glided from her seat to behind Culex, and she put one arm around her, and spoke into his ear, "...you are a Knight, yes. Just for today... and just for me, Culex... be a hero, instead of a knight."
The Vandan gave a short sigh. "I tried being a 'hero,' once. I fought for the weak, I conquered their challenges for them. They adored the 'Crystal Knight,' some tried to worship me... because I was strong. You are young, Peorth, for a goddess. I was their 'hero' for two hundred years."
"What happened?" she asked quietly, though she was sure she knew.
"They faltered. They expected me to solve their every problem, answer their every question. And because I was a hero, and because I was good... I could neither fail them, nor force my teachings upon them." His darkened eyes seemed to glitter. "And in the end... I knew that there was no purpose toward being a legendary champion of justice, some hero. I was a Knight, and I would be nothing less... nor anything more."
"They don't need a knight." Peorth whispered, and she patted him on the shoulder. "They need you. And not just for Naru's wish-- although she'll cry so horribly if Keitaro doesn't come back-- but because in this place, the master of Hell is focused on one thing. You have the chance to make a real difference in this world, Culex."
The Dark Knight sighed. "It... would be like old times. Do you remember when I fought Dispater?"
"Do I?!" she giggled. "You broke down the entrance to his throne room with his golem's own arms!"
"It wasn't my fault the doors were locked." he replied, but his eyes lightened.
"Culex," said Peorth suddenly, and she reached for one of the Vandan's purple-skinned arms, and raised it up. She shrugged off one of her goddess bracelets and clipped it firmly on his wrist. "...there. Now you have a token from your Lady... Monseigneur."
Culex held up his right arm, and saw where the thin metal bracelet stuck to his wrist. He could feel the magic easily... and Peorth's aura, still bound to it. There was a sudden, quiet crack, and Culex, for the first time in years, allowed a smile to cross his crystal visage, and he stood up.
"I... very well, Lady Peorth. I will not cross over... I doubt anyone but Keitaro needs me... but he, I can help." And so saying he summoned his Wind Crystal, and pressed his hand against it. The crystal's normal green color radiated throughout the area, getting brighter; until a brilliant wave of light coalesced over it, and then faded. The Wind Crystal levitated for several moments, and then propelled upward.
"It will seek out Keitaro," he explained, "But... because of the distance and the obstacles, it will only find him if he calls out for me... or for Naru, the girl who did not forget him."
Peorth smiled. "I'm glad you changed your mind, Culex. Oh... and what did you put in it the crystal, anyway?"
The Vandan's eyes glimmered. "Everything a mortal who has to fight but has little experience at it needs. He need only focus on a weapon for the crystal to either form one for him, or form one from electric energy."
The goddess nodded. "That's all I can ask. Culex, mes ami, I wish you and the others bonne chance and good luck. And," she suddenly added, remembering the indignity Velsper, Hild, and Urd herself had put her through, added, "Kill a lot of demons for me!"
---
OK... well, that closes the last of the flashbacks/sequences (it would've been funny if JSG had made it; we could see whether Culex or Nabeshin worked more backstories into their plots )... up until the afterparty, of course.
To Keitaro: The Wind Crystal provides a convenient deus ex machina if you need anything (like a weapon; just reference the bit with Sly above, it's why I included it) and can't logically get it from anywhere else (such as the evil demon guy lending you his Ruby Rod because you asked nicely :] ). If it is not needed, or you have a way out besides fighting, that's fine too, since I already know where to run with this either way. It's just a courtesy, since while I was talking with other people online the subject of your, heh, lack of firepower compared to the other sponsors came up.
And finally, Culex is talked into fighting the good fight and taking a stab at the legions of Hades while the big guy is busy. I'll assume that there's actually something to SaGa Frontier's Hell besides random flying devils and one endboss, heh; and hope that gives a few other non-finalists something to do. *chuckles*
(Really finally, apologies if this seems presumptuous or forceful in any way, etc., but when I didn't see much else going on I didn't think anybody would mind; and some of us were getting bored. *chuckles*) _________________
"I am matter... I am antimatter.... I can see your past... I can see your future.... I consume time... and I will consume you!" |
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Baka Muppet

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 1435 Location: Here Be Dragons
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 5:08 am Post subject: |
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Sora faced his worst fears.
"NO MUM! DON'T TAKE MY NET CONNECTION AWAY! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!~~~"
------
Man, I wish I coulda taken part. Oh well. Life sucks. Sorry to Dar, and to anyone I was interactin' with. Congrats to the finamalists! _________________
Baka // Black Angel // Salva Nos |
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AsylumXKP ...Back again

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 647 Location: Still Drunk!
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 5:11 am Post subject: |
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Conker - CNK 00003 - AsylumXKP - 4, -1, 0, 16: 19
Wait. I made it through Round 5 with 0? HOORAY! I BEAT THE ROUND 5 CURSE! WOOHOO! Hell, if I actually thought of something to do last round (And didn't get A-Raped ) I JUST might of made finals. Maybe. But anyways, time for postage.
Previously, on the last episode of RTSG...
Conker laughed insanely while sitting on a mushroom stool. He grabbed a hose in his right hand, and puffed from it. A few fluffs of multicolored smoke came from his mouth. Conker held it in, then opened his mouth as smoke of all colors formed into the letters "A E I O U". Snickering again, Conker passed the hose to a large caterpillar, also snickering. He took a few puffs and blew out the letter "3".
"Brought to you by the letter 3!" They laughed uncontrolably.
"Three is not a letter, it's a number!"
"Exactly! 3! As in how many hooka's we went through!" more uncontrolable laughing. The Caterpillar handed the hose to a small pink fluffball thing with eyes and fins (They just called him Bob) who breathed in the smoke and filling him like a balloon.
"Easy there little buddy!" said Conker. The Caterpillar simply laughed.
Kirby was about the size of Queen Brahne when it finally removed the hose from it's mouth. It's eye's turned from black to bloodshot red as it held it in. With a gulp it swallowed in all the smoke.
"WHOA!" said Conker nearly jumping off his toadstool. The pink fluffball opened it's mouth and out came the entire script from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
"That was cool man!" said the caterpillar, high fiving Kirby four times with different hands.
"To be or not to be, that is the question." said Catipillar reading the smoke. "Ya know I've always wondered what that meant man, I mean, if that's the question, then what was the answer? Dudes?" The large caterpillar looked left and right, and Kirby and Conker were gone.
"Whoa. This is DEFINATELY some good shit! First the talking squirrels, then the pink cottonball... I MEAN WHOA MAAAAAN!"
Episode 7: HELL LUNA!
"Talk about a buzzkill." said Conker rubbing his head. He looked around and marveled at the scenery.
"WAH!" agreed Kirby. The two then focused back to the already talking host.
"Granted, I'm not conversant with ALL the hells, but this certainly doesn't look like one of them." The small demon shrugged. "Anyway, I'm going to talk to my employer. You guys can... relax, enjoy yourselves, I suppose. Doesn't look too dangerous."
As Ralph had been talking, one of the angels had been drifting closer to the group. As it got within range, it suddenly underwent a horrific change. Its hair and wings dropped off, the skin bunched, changed color, and suddenly expanded to fit the muscle that now filled it. Finally, the robe dropped off, revealing an enormous, blue-skinned demon. The hellspawn roared and charged towards the gathering, murder in its eyes.
With impulse Master Chief armed his assault rifle, Nabeshin produced two Heavy Machine Guns from his Afro, Conker pulled out a rocket launcher, and Jason equipped his bazooka, all trained on the demon. Needless to say, it was a quite a mess.
"Ah. Obviously, things are not as they seem. In that case..." He pointed. "Sir Cyan, Tachibana, Keitaro, Nova, and... Shizumaru. Come with me. You know, just in case things get ugly." He smiled in what was apparently meant to be a reassuring manner. The contestants were not reassured. He shrugged. "The rest of you..." Ralph paused and looked at the demon smear, "...Should be okay." He tapped a few keys, and with a flash, the small demon and the five he had chosen vanished. The rest of the group looked around as several other angelic shapes began approaching.
Conker whipped out his twin SMGs and smiled. "Which hellspawn's first?" the squirrel king eyed the floating angels, ready to lay down the metallic death on any who so much as look at him wrong.
----------
Meanwhile...
"Dude, we're totally fucking lost." said the Necromancer.
"Shut up. You were the one who took the left at the River of Flames." countered the Palladin.
"Any of you got a Stone of Jordan?" asked a Barbarian.
"Yeah." said both the Palladin and the Necromancer.
"Can I have one?"
"Hell no." they both replied.
"Here comes a monster!" shouted the Necromancer. "Angellic Demon-- OH FUCK LIGHTNING ENCHANTED AND PHYSICAL IMMUNE! RUN!"
The group shouted "omg" as the angel chased them through the clouds. It's a hsame they forgot to stock up on potions. It was a bad day to be a cameo.
------------
Meanwhile...
"Dude, we're totally fu--" chimed in Skull Eater, trailing behind Galuf.
"I know, we're lost!" Infuriated, Galuf stomped his foot. They didn't know that to get to The River Styx Casino/Resort you had to take a right at Limbo.
"I told you not to use Mapquest." said Skull Eater. Galuf merely groaned. It was a bad day to be a cameo. _________________
With less suckage than Revolutions! |
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Dareon 1.5% Margin of Error

Joined: 08 Jul 2002 Posts: 342 Location: Alaska, you fools! Stop being surprised!
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:02 am Post subject: |
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Second Stage - Mirror Match
The Mage of Hell sat in front of the finalists on a rather large squashy chintz armchair. On an end table next to him lay a teacup and the remnants of a sandwich. If not for the whole lizard-protrusion bit and the oddly coagulated look of the remaining liquid in the cup, it might have been a comforting sight. He smiled up at them as they awoke, a few just hanging there. He raised one eyebrow as Asuka and Nova powered up, and at the remains of the pillars left behind when Shizumaru as well broke free.
"Oh my, now you've messed up my Feng Shui. It's like... What was that reference... Oh, yes. 'A penultimate anime episode.' You know, one of the 24th or 25th episodes. You'll have to excuse the sandwich, but I so love a show with dinner. Some of you screamed most deliciously." He flicked crumbs from his chest and gestured to one of the intact pillars. "I'm afraid, however, that your guide failed to survive his fears. And they were such little things, too." Ralph hung limply in his mystic bonds, a few coils of red tape spilling sadly from his sleeves, as if he had tried to physically fight what he had feared. A sadistic laugh re-oriented the contestants on the mage. "He's still... alive, if you could call it that. But his mind is broken. It was a wonderful experience. Well, for me, anyway."
Sighing, the diabolic magician stood, clearing away the chair, table, and meal with a wave of his hand. "So, then, what shall we do with you now?" He smiled for a moment, displaying a small fang from one side of his mouth. "I suppose I could kill you outright now, but that still wouldn't be very fun..." He laughed suddenly, a light flaring in his eyes, and with a second wave of his hand, Keitaro and Cyan dropped to the floor, landing on their feet. Ralph, however, landed with a thud on the nacreous surface and lay still. Nova dashed forward, the Proof of the Pillar poised to spill the Mage of Hell's blood. Halfway there, her blade was blocked by... an exact duplicate of herself, Pillar and all. The eyes of contestant and doppelgänger met, and Nova's widened, confronted by orbs of purest black. The duplicate grinned and forced its real-life counterpart back.
Four other black-eyed clones stepped forward, each of another contestant. The Mage of Hell chuckled and drifted back from the line. "Yes, this should be... quite fun."
Special Rule: Mage of Hell - Mirror Match
The Mage of Hell has summoned shadow clones of yourselves for you to fight, each with your exact equipment, skills, toughness, etc. They'll bleed, and sweat, and curse just the same as you do, to where telling double from original may be difficult. In fact, apart from the eyes and the minor detail of wanting to kill you, for all intents and purposes you are fighting yourselves. Each one will focus on its counterpart, but defend itself from other contestants if attacked by them. This is meant to be a gauge of how well you write duels, especially between equals, as the previous stage was intended to be a gauge of your skill in writing introspection. Despite the duel suggestion, you may team up for 2-on-2 or greater action if you like. You are completely free to do as you wish to your clone (or have your clone do to you), but the Mage of Hell will not be accessible during this fight. If you really want a shot at him, just wait. Deal with these clones first. While I was planning on having a post ot explain what happens when one dies, I'll let you guys do it. The clones will basically explode/dissolve into harmless swirls of shadow. That's it, not big bang, no cross-shaped explosion. I'm saving that for Hell's Mage. This stage ends in 12 hours. There will be another 6-hour break after this stage, then... ZOMG FINARU BATTU!
Also, Moogle, if you decide to run with what Wayne's given you (it's fine with me), your clone will not have that weapon-producing crystal. Well, it might, if you want it to. Your call.
Now I sleep. |
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:44 am Post subject: |
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Freed from the bonds of his own fears, as well as the less metaphorical and more literal bonds that chained him to the pillar, Keitaro took a couple of seconds to stretch out his muscles that were sore from being extended for so long. He had no conscious memory of hanging there, though obviously he was there until he conquered his fear. The fear was indeed quite dreadful, and he very nearly succumbed to it. It was Tama-chan who had saved him, Tama-chan who still flew faithfully by him even in the depths of Hell. Or at least, he thought it must have been Tama-chan, not even stopping to consider the possibility that his own mind may have been strong enough on its own to conjure the Tama-chan. But Keitaro was a bit too busy at the moment for considerations such as these.
The five of them had all conquered their fears, though Ralph did not seem to have done the same. Not that they needed him now; he was not terribly forthcoming with the information to begin with (although, to be fair, it seemed like this Amethyst being was manipulating everything past the Abbey anyway,) and besides, that would just have been one more clone to have to deal with.
There were five shadow clones, and the shadow clones advanced and began battle with their counterparts. That was how Keitaro found himself staring into the black pit that was the shadow Keitaro's countenance, and he knew in that instant that he was going to have to fight himself.
It was Keitaro Urashima vs. Keitaro Urashima, and the whole world trembled.
Or perhaps not the whole world, but at least one of the Keitaro Urashimas trembled. How was he supposed to fight a shadow version of himself when he could not even fight? Mental strength was one thing, but physical strength... Keitaro did not exactly possess that, as he had demonstrated repeatedly throughout the duration of the tournament. It was said that desperate times bring out the best of people. Keitaro wondered if that description applied to him. Or even what the best he had to bring out would be, if it did.
Then he saw the other four battles. Not just saw them, but noticed them, as well. It seemed to be four complete deadlocks, four stalemates. In fact, he could hardly tell apart the other four from their shadow clones, now that they were all up close to one another.
This meaning was, at first, lost on Keitaro, at least until he watched his own shadow clone advance on him and be struck in the head by a flaming rock that fell from the ceiling.
I might be an incompetent idiot without any redeeming qualities, but if that's the case, so is my clone!
Sometimes, just sometimes, it was good to be Keitaro Urashima. Talk about setting the bar low.
He advanced on his fallen shadow clone, ready to make quick work of it. But instead he was struck from the side by a fast-moving piece of rock that blew apart when struck by another combatant's special technique of some variety, and he fell over, too.
As one, the two Keitaro Urashimas slowly staggered to their feet and stared one another down again. Keitaro was cautious, but then, so would be his shadow clone.
The battle - if indeed a fight between two Keitaro Urashimas could be classified as a battle - was joined. There would be no turning back now. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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CarlyCheeese Scarlet Rain Silence

Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 1202 Location: Koka-In Temple
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:55 am Post subject: |
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Hisame Shizumaru - 7:3
Ralph, a demon? He'd suspected it, but never really went forward with the notion - the man had seemed far too inconsequential and, well, plain, compared to something on par with Ameki. The problem that Shizumaru faced then, though, wasn't really Ralph, but more of the fact that he was looking at himself, straight in the eye. The same clothing, weapons (though how anything could copy the Muramasa was beyond him), the same familiar spiky hair and gentle red eyes... and if his cold heartbeat was any indication, he had the same demon, too.
As far as Shizumaru knew, there wasn't much to contest him as far as sheer power went - hadn't he defeated Altima and Malak, after all? - and so, virtually the one thing that could just would happen to be himself, wouldn't it? His shadow was bowing low to him, holding his own version of the Kirisame in his hands - hands that perhaps too had touched soft skin, as hers - and when he pulled himself up neatly, he said softly, in Shizumaru's voice (and that was probably what creeped him out the most about it, hearing his own voice from someone else), "Gomen nasai. Forgive me."
At breakneck speed, his clone shot towards him, and Shizumaru, realizing that whatever he did, the clone would match it, stood his ground, blocking the clone's jab with a parry of the Muramasa. The umbrella pressed against the sword, and the blade was cutting through the canvas, the harder they pressed against each other - the clone thought exactly the way Shizumaru did; if they kept that up, the umbrella would be sliced cleanly through. Shizumaru tried to force the blade down further in order to cut through, but the clone used the force of his push to slide away, and following that, he slung his damaged umbrella over his shoulder, and pulled out his own Muramasa. Shizumaru could feel the blade's power, but yet - it was not the same sword, of course. The Lord of Hell had forgotten that the sword possessed a mind all its own, apparently - and that was now one advantage Shizumaru had over... himself, really.
The clone held up his own cheapened version of the bloody sword, exactly the same way Shizumaru was holding his - it was still unnerving to see exactly how he looked, and even as he observed himself, he could find flaws in his own stance; one foot was out just a little bit too far, his knee bent not quite enough, and he might not have been holding the sword at the proper angle... in a way, looking at your own shadow was a useful thing, but certainly not when you had to pick out your own weaknesses in the space of a second. His clone shot at him, leaping into the air at the last second, and Shizumaru jumped after him, swinging his Muramasa against the iron of the other. With a powerful swing overhead, he slammed the Muramasa down on the clone's sword, knocking him down to the ground first, and he followed back down on his fall.
The clone, though, had just as much stamina as his inspiration, and he flung himself at Shizumaru, just as he himself did, and the blades crashed against each other with a crash that shook the foundation of Hell itself (- not the original notion of it, mind, but rather the location that they were in). Both of the redheads were staring with locked-eye against each other, as the blades were pressed to their limit with their combined strength. The clone was thinking exactly the same thought as Shizumaru, he knew that for sure - could one of them win without having to be possessed by the sword itself?
Shizumaru gave another push to block the little stalemate, and dove in low towards his clone, attempting to slide in and cross the blade across his thigh - and while the clone knew exactly what his intention was, having the knowledge of the maneuver himself, Shizumaru also knew what to expect from himself - and so he faked out the cut, swinging the blade high and catching his clone off balance, letting him free to strike out with the nodachi and connect with the blade, striking a deep cut across his shadow's back.
It let out a gasp of agony, and Shizumaru nearly stopped for repose himself - there was simply something odd about this, in fighting himself. Now that his clone was more determined to finish him off - just as Shizumaru himself would have been - they stared each other down icily, but peacefully, almost, knowing that in this reality, the only opponent truly deadly to the samurai was exactly what stood before him.
The next second broke, and with another crash that rocked the skies, their battle continued.
--
Mwah - and I'm off for my flight. ^_^; Maybe if someone's bored (*cough*tenshi you know you want to*cough*) they can flow with it... haah! _________________
. . . . . . . . . . . . Credo quia absurdum non credere. . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Helmar Brilliant Reflection

Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Cephiro
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:59 am Post subject: |
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Wake
I hold the light and darkness in my heart.
Nova stood beside the others, listening as the possessed mage mocked them. She watched as Ralph slumped lifelessly, still bound to the pillar. Nova suddenly shot forward with blades blazing, rushing at Hell’s Lord. If I can disable him now, then just maybe…
Her blades met resistance. Nova leapt back as someone interposed itself between Nova and Hell’s Lord. Gown flowing smoothly, twin blades of golden flame blazing, the figure grinned at Nova. Save for her lifeless ebony eyes, her opponent was Nova herself. Suddenly Nova flung a golden energy bolt at the copy, only to be forced to block another with the Proof. Nova’s only thought as she saw her opponent do the same was: this is *not* good.
She spared a glance around her, watching as copies of the others appeared. She frowned at something the others couldn’t notice. Unlike the mirror image of her at the last location, these copies felt exactly the same as the originals. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that they felt exactly the same: as the duplicates appeared, they themselves felt the same confusion the originals did. She could almost feel a tinge of darkness in them, but it was so incredibly faint she wasn’t sure if it was really there or if it was simply wishful thinking. She knew even an area as large as this would soon be entirely covered in battle…in a fight of this magnitude, it would almost be impossible to avoid friendly fire. And she was sure the copies wouldn’t mind that one bit.
Rise
I chase for the dream that I just can't give up on.
Both Novas disappeared as one from Hell as they reappeared on another plane. It seemed as if the plane itself manifested the fight between the two Novas: the storming grey skies constantly shifted to reveal patches of brilliant sunlight which were then covered by clouds, verdant flora withered and died to reveal barren rock only to sprout once more. In the distance, they could see the ground itself in chaos, mountains erupting from the earth at the same time as bottomless crevasses formed. Neither side would have an advantage in this arena, neither side would have outside assistance to tip the scales.
“Water Dragon!”
Nova hurled the spell towards her shadow, only to have it blocked by Winds of Protection. The copy grinned wildly as she flung an Emerald Typhoon at Nova, only to watch as Nova disappeared. She reappeared behind the copy, Proof swooping in to hit…nothing. She continued the swing, whirling around as she used the same movement to block the shadow’s blades as she reappeared behind Nova.
Nova jumped into the air, fire blazing to life as a Ruby Inferno sprouted from her hands. The copy followed into the air, a Sapphire Whirlwind dousing Nova’s spell. Nova frowned; her copy’s spells were just as powerful as her own. Changing tactics, both Novas flew through the air at the other, blades whirling.
Both of Nova’s strikes were blocked by her copy. The copy hurled a bolt of energy, which Nova parried with her blade. Nova flew straight up, narrowly avoiding a swing from behind; the copy had used the momentary blindness from Nova’s parry to teleport behind her. Nova flung a Fire Arrow at her copy, watching as the copy just let the flames engulf her, flowing harmlessly over her energy shield. As the flames around the copy died, Nova smiled and flashed a V.
The copy had a puzzled expression for a moment, then her face paled as she began to teleport. She didn’t have time to do more than think of it though, as twin energy blades tore into her shoulder. Nova had used the Fire Arrow as a decoy, using the copy’s own technique by hurling her swords in shuriken form as the copy had been consumed by the fire.
The copy gave a smirk as Nova’s expression changed to that of shock, shoulder erupting in a spray of blood. What?! But she didn’t even have time to…
Learn
The brightness of the sun has drifted far away.
Nova clutched her shoulder, blood flowing between her fingers. Her face paled as she thought of a possible explanation. That should have been impossible. Unless…
The shadow half-bowed to Nova mockingly.
…she’s me. _________________

Last edited by Helmar on Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Asuka faced off with his twin. He wasn't sure what to do. His twin just stared at him, apparently trying to make Asuka do the first move. Then, he finally realized the one thing Amethyst had forgotten - Asuka's hatred of killing other humans. "There are few things partial to humans. I guess that the demon has underestimated us."
Asuka saw his opponent's face and could tell that there was a reluctance to do his master's bidding. His clothes, weapons, and apparently even ideals and attitude were the exact same as his own. "This isn't what I had expected from a demon of hell," Asuka said while laughing.
"I'm sorry. It would of been easier if he had made me the opposite of you," the clone replied, Asuka nodding in agreement. He continued, his face growing more serious, "But... I know I have to; I have to fight you. I'm sorry." His clone then seemed to swap between his sword and bow instantaneously, drawing the bowstring as a jade arrow appeared in it, reflecting off of his obsidian black eyes.
Asuka nodded, "I understand." He knew that there were certain things one should not interfere with, and destiny was one of them. He mimicked his opponent's actions, drawing his bowstring with the jade arrow in the bow.
"May the best of us win," both said simultaneously. They nodded, and both fired their arrows. _________________
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FnordFromAbove I miss Toadette...

Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 86 Location: Warehouse 23
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:29 am Post subject: |
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Toadette drove around. Paratroopa shot demon-things with shells.
Whee!!!
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Best of luck to all the finalists. The stuff I've been reading this round has really blown me away. All of you have definitely earned my congratulations on a job very well done. _________________ Nothing special here...move along. |
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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There were plenty of times in his life that Keitaro had heard phrases used to the effect of, "you are your own worst enemy." It was said by different people in different ways, but all of them were ironic when applied to Keitaro's current situation, what with himself being his own worst enemy and all. He certainly didn't expect to be getting the chance to ponder literary devices when Ralph picked the five of them to go down and meet the "employer" (who of course turned out to be the Lord of Hell.) But then, things hardly ever went as expected for Keitaro Urashima.
Much like the others, he was not making any ground in the fight against his shadow clone, nor was his shadow clone making any ground against him, either. The key difference between the other four battles and Keitaro's was simple. Where the other four were locked in mirror matches in their respective fighting styles, each an example in a different way of strength and power and competence, Keitaro had none of those things. So instead, the battle of Keitaro Urashima vs. Keitaro Urashima was a testament to incompetence, bad luck, and comedic clumsiness. To any of the others (shadow clone or otherwise) it might have seemed to defy reality, were they not too engrossed with their own fights.
Doubtlessly, the Lord of Hell, wherever he'd gotten off to, was watching and wondering something like, What was I thinking making a clone of that guy? But then, the demon probably never even thought that someone like Keitaro would be among those who came to stop him.
The very thought of his perpetually poor luck causing some consternation to an omnipotent demon with world-domination aspirations was enough to make him chuckle. It was a distraction from the fight, too, and he left himself an opening that the shadow clone tried to exploit.
But as the Keitaro clone came in at the real Keitaro's face, it stepped on a rake that inexplicably appeared right at Keitaro's feet, and the shadow clone was smacked straight in the face by the long rake handle as it shot up from the ground. Even as he laughed, the same rake handle smacked the real Keitaro in the face, too.
A thought struck him then (as did some random, small flying object in a less figurative sense,) as his current situation suddenly reminded him of something that happened to him previously in the tournament. It was when he lost his clothes in the Source Stone, and Sly went off to find some new ones, so Keitaro sat there playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with himself, constantly tying because both hands threw the same sign.
He heard Sly's voice in his head: Don't you know you can never win?
"Yeah!" Keitaro shouted, and for a brief moment his shadow clone looked confused, not having the benefit of the same thought process as Keitaro. "But I can never lose, either!"
The real Keitaro tried to take advantage of the confusion on the shadow clone's face by bringing up a knee to the groin, but instead all he managed to do was stub his own toe on a rock that was at his feet.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" He hopped around on one foot, trying to grab a hold of the other one as though that would somehow make the pain go away.
Predictably, it was the shadow clone's turn to try to take advantage of some weakness, swinging at Keitaro's face with a closed right fist while it thought the real Keitaro was off balance.
But Keitaro was actually not off-balance, as it turned out, and he suddenly swung a closed right fist right at the face of his shadow clone.
POW!
Both of them being right handed, neither fist was blocked as it struck the other's face full on.
Keitaro's glasses were knocked to the ground.
So were the shadow clone's glasses.
Both being Keitaro Urashima, their natural response was to get down on hands and knees and look for the glasses... and so two blind Keitaro Urashimas were unleashed upon the battlefield. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Seril Eternity Eight

Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 181 Location: Lost Ground
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Both arrows hit each other as both Asukas swapped between bow and sword, dashing at each other. They met and clashed swords as the arrows collided, creating an emerald shower over both alter capabilitists. Sword to sword, the Asukas met face to face.
I can't lose now... I have to go back and save my friends!
Asuka leapt back, the clone's sword thrusting down with a huge force, creating a large gash in the floor near him. Asuka switched weapons again and fired a barrage of arrows as his clone, who pulled his sword free from the ground fast enough to deflect them.
The clone dashed at Asuka, thrusting with his sword. Asuka barely managed to avoid the attack, the sword slicing through Asuka's robes like they were nothing. Asuka muttered a short curse as he clutched his side with one hand while extending the other, creating a wall of jade crystal between him and his clone.
While he had his short timeout, Asuka's hand near his wound shot out crystal from it, encasing it in the same crystal. It then shattered, revealing his repaired clothing, healing him completely. As that happened, the wall of green crystal shattered into hundreds of jade slivers, which shot out at the now healed Asuka.
Asuka extended his hand, and the crystals stopped, seemingly confused. On the other side, his clone was doing the same. The crystals wavered back and forth, unsure of whose command to follow. Suddenly, the clone's bow appeared in his hand, and the wall of jade slivers shot at him. Pulling his bowstring, the clone shot one arrow which split into hundreds. Each arrow collided with a sliver of jade, creating a large storm of jade dust in-between the two combatants.
The cloned Asuka looked around, unsure, switching from his bow to his sword. He began to charge into the storm when Asuka emerged charging from it, sword in hand and posed to strike.
Their swords clashing, both Asukas began a deadly dance. Asuka swiped at his clone with his sword, then the clone leapt up avoiding the attack, his sword downward set to impale Asuka. He moved quickly to the side slashing sideways with his sword. The clone landed on the tip of Asuka's sword with his foot, using it to flip backwards off of, unbalancing Asuka who stumbled forward because of it. Taking the opportunity, the clone feinted at Asuka with his sword, who managed to get away from that - in time to collide with his clone's foot, propelling him backwards.
Regaining his composure midair, Asuka switched weapons and shot an arrow off at his clone, who wasn't able to dodge in time and was pierced in the shoulder by the arrow. Asuka landed on his feet, then stumbled as a shock of pain shot through his right side causing him to collapse to the ground.
"I guess I wasn't fully healed," said Asuka with a little laugh.
"I was too careless..." muttered his clone as the arrow shot out of his arm and shattered into dust.
Both of them stood straight, staring at each other. "This is getting us no-where," sighed Asuka.
"We're too evenly matched physically," agreed his clone.
Asuka looked at his cloned, then sighed. He knew that if they continued fighting, they would only come to this same conclusion time and time again until both of them were dead. Knowing there was only one thing to do, he took his bow out and drew its string.
His clone, apparently going through the exact same thought process he was, copied Asuka's actions. They looked each other in the eye, knowing that this will be the end of it.
"One shot," they said, "Will determine it all."
Both bows fired.
The arrows sped past each other.
They hit their targets.
Both Asuka's fell back as an arrow pierced their hearts.
No...
Both Asukas fell down on the floor, and blacked out.
Asuka was coughing up blood. I know I can't lose here. I can't let this all be in vain. Asuka began to be surrounded by a green glow coming from his robes. The arrow in his chest rose from its position in him, then vanished.
Asuka opened his eyes, then looked around for his clone. Seeing him, he got up and ran over to him. "It seems you weren't as lucky as me," he said as he saw his arrow had hit its mark. His clone now lay lifeless on the floor. Suddenly, his clone turned black, like a shadow, then disappeared.
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Nearby, a well-known rocket propelled ninja flew past the combatants, screaming, "GENBU FEELS LIKE THE DEMONS OF HEAVEN HAVE MADE GENBU THEIR UKE!" _________________

Last edited by Seril on Sat Jun 12, 2004 2:03 pm; edited 7 times in total |
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Magus Mr. Thou

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Posts: 452 Location: Mount Zozo
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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Cyan Garamonde – 7/3
The Fall of The House Alexander
And then, when he opened his eyes, he was in Hell. Freed from the illusions that bound him, he looked around for Ralph – the one that had brought him and the others there, and who also happened to be a demon; a demon working for the Interplanar Talent agency, but still a demon -, but the demon lay unconscious on the floor.
The azure knight had conquered his fear and embraced his own mortality – acknowledging that he was fifty years old, but knowing that he was still useful; being in the tournament, and faring so well against his enemies was a proof of that. He rushed towards the seemingly dead demon, but stopped as a pale blue blade cut the air in front of him and dug into the ground. His eyes widened as he turned to face the one that had attacked – an exact copy of himself stared at him, wearing the same azure armor and carrying the same sword he was. Their eyes locked – the doppelganger had black, empty eyes but was a very faithful reflection of Cyan, even in the way it carried a sword – and the two reached for their swords and the same time and the two Yuzurenai Negais clashed in the air.
Pale blue sparks flew as the blades met, and the two leapt back, returning to their original stances – which were exactly the same. A purple and a golden aura emanated from his body as he cast a Haste and a Safe spell, and so did his clone – it seemed that the clone had the exact same abilities he had and seemed to follow the same train of thought, which could complicate things a bit – and the two leap in the air.
The blades met once again, and Cyan (the real Cyan) ducked to the side as he avoided a second slash from the clone, then swinging his own katana upwards – but his counter attack was parried by the clone that, in turn, swung his own katana horizontally, missing Cyan’s cheek for a few inches as the original azure knight dodged its attack and casting a Fire2 spell against the clone. The doppelganger saw himself surrounded by the pillar of flames as it imploded around him and, as the flames died down, had disappeared.
The azure knight looked above and parried the attack that came from above his head – he had done the exact same thing against Culex, and expected his clone to do the same, were he right about it having the same abilities and strategy –, spinning around and swinging his blade in a perfect circle around his head, but was parried once again by the clone who, in turn, thrust his blade forward against Cyan’s chest. The azure knight ducked to the side, avoiding being impaled by the clone’s Yuzurenai Negai’s blade, and cast a Poison spell on his clone – just as predicted, the clone cast a Remedy spell on himself, to get rid of the poison.
Fang.
Cyan sped towards the clone once again – slowly testing its reactions and reflexes, and thinking of a better way to defeat himself – and raised his katana above his head. Surprisingly enough, the clone didn’t do much to defend himself from the attack, and black blood poured from the rather severe gash Cyan had opened in his armored chest, biting through the blue armor and tearing through his skin. The clone, however, didn’t even flinched, and spun around and slashed through the azure knight’s stomach – an almost fatal wound -, using his own Sky technique; a fierce counter attack that often meant certain death.
Cyan stumbled back as his body was surrounded by a green and white light – a Cure2 spell, followed by a Regen spell, to help close the wound -, and the clone followed, taking the offensive and speeding towards Cyan. The azure knight parried the blow, but lost his balance and fell on his back to the ground with a loud clang from his armor and the clone slashed again, missing the knight’s head for only a few inches and burying his blade in the ground. Cyan jumped back up, thrusting his shoulder against the shadow clone and reaching for his sword – the clone momentarily lost its balance and stumbled back, raising his sword his in time to parry an attack.
The blades clashed once again and, once again, blue sparks flew as both tried to break away from it, with little success, and the fight had reached an uncomfortable stalemate. The two had exactly the same strength and agility, as well as the same mindset – it wouldn’t be easy for Cyan to overcome his opponent, and he had to focus a lot on defense otherwise he’d rapidly loose ground to his clone -, and, even if he could predict what his opponent would do, so did his clone.
The only chance he had was to try and break the balance between the two – and he only knew of one thing that could. He leapt back, thrusting his sword to the side and began to chant as the clone sped towards him. Suddenly, with a bright flash of light, was sent flying back as the fierce wave of magic hit him – and from within, the Esper Maduin rose as the light died down and sped towards the fallen clone in its rage.
Chaos Wing
Cyan followed suit and ran towards the clone, who was already fighting Maduin – and, surprisingly enough, faring much better than Cyan had assumed, parrying and thrusting against Maduin with determination, as Cyan would do in this situation – and joined the fight beside his trusted Esper.
The beast dug his claws deep in the clone’s skin as his green haired chest was cut open by the Yuzurenai Negai’s shimmering blade – assisted by Cyan, who, in turn, slashed the air horizontally, tearing through the clone’s thighs. The clone growled in pain as blood poured from his legs and arms as the two attacked him ruthlessly. The clone countered, spinning his body and slashing his katana diagonally, slashing through Maduin’s chest and then ducking to the side, hitting Cyan on the stomach with his hilt - The knight bent over as it hit, and fell to his knee as his oxygen was taken away from his lungs. Maduin continued to fight the clone regardless, and grabbed the clone’s neck and threw it against the floor, opening a small crater as it hit, then threw him to the air and leapt upwards to meet the shadow clone.
The shadow clone sent a barrage of spells towards Maduin, but with no success – Maduin simply shrugged most of them in his ascension and buried his claws in his arms, and twisted it as the creature threw the clone back to the ground – pummeling the shadow clone all the way down. A few feet away, Cyan got up and watched the fight as the two landed, throwing dust and smoke in the air – unfortunately, for him, he knew how it’d probably end; he knew the clone’s reactions and tricks and Maduin didn’t, despite knowing Cyan for a long time now. A large explosion could be heard amid the smoke and debris that flew – Cyan knew what probably had happened, although he was still weary of interrupting the Esper’s fight – and Maduin was sent flying back, followed by the clone who, sword in hand, dove towards the Esper. The azure knight rushed to the beast’s aid, however, parrying several blows with his sword, and took the offensive as the clone stumbled back – waiting for the Esper to heal while he distracted the clone for a bit.
And the two fought amid the haze created by the fight – it was hard to tell who was who now, but the fight was still pretty even –, sparks flew everywhere every time the blades met, and neither was ready to give up just yet as they exchanged blows and spells, that flew through the battlefield relentlessly, painting a very colorful scenery.
Then, it all stopped. Maduin squeezed his emerald eyes to see what was going on – even cast a Scan spell to be able to check on Cyan – but couldn’t see, or hear anything. Suddenly, he saw a blue figure flying back and landing a few feet behind him. Maduin rushed to him and prepared himself just in case this one wasn’t the real Cyan. But it wasn’t. The samurai struggled to get back up – a rather big gash in his stomach and chest that refused to close, despite his protective spells – and prepared himself to fight once again, but didn’t move.
And Maduin suddenly realized the reason. The ground started to shake, and the mist cleared up, revealing a rather big crater, but no sign of the clone. Suddenly, from within the crater, a huge castle rose – with pearl white walls, adorned with golden patterns and silver wings, encompassing the entire structure – and, high above the top, the shadow clone stood, expressionless, looking at the two allies below.
“What is that thing, Maduin? I had no idea I was able to summon such creature.” Cyan said, amazed at the castle-creature that had been summoned to the battlefield – Maduin, however, was more worried than amazed and quickly got ready to the fight, which promised to be ruthless.
“This is the Esper Alexander… And he’s ready to unleash his holy judgment upon us.”
Shortly after Maduin said it, a bright white light filled the battlefield and the very foundations of Hell shook – and threw the battlefield into further chaos.
Judgment. _________________
"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma.
I am your worst nightmare..."
Many thanks for SlicedBread for the picture! |
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Helmar Brilliant Reflection

Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Cephiro
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Grow
Someday I want for myself a future that has no end.
Nova dodged another spell, leaping away at the last moment as the shadow swung at her with the Proof. This isn’t going well…I’m just fighting myself. If I hit her, I just hit myself…and she’s still eager to fight.
The shadow hurled her swords as Nova dodged behind a stone outcropping that had just formed. Same power, same spells, same strengths, same weaknesses. The only problem is that if I exploit those weaknesses, I only hurt myself. There has to be something I have that she doesn’t…
She took to the air as the ground suddenly leapt up. Nova realized the chaos they had seen in the distance had finally caught up to the dueling combatants, hurling vegetation and masses of stone into the air. Nova dodged behind an enormous rock as the copy renewed her attack.
Nova thought of Asuka. He had finally defeated the demons that had hounded him through the tournament…but could he do the same to one as compassionate as himself?
Sleep
Believing gives me the courage to live with myself.
The shadow suddenly appeared in front of her, blades whirling. Nova managed to deflect one, but felt her cheek burn as the second grazed her face. As she teleported away, she noticed a thin line red with blood appear on the shadow’s cheek.
Nova thought of Cyan. Even with the injuries sustained when he was without a weapon, he had been astounding against Ameki…could he beat someone who used every counter to every move as he himself used?
She dodged out of the way of the copy’s Sapphire Whirlwind, only to catch the tail end of it as the ground shifted beneath her. Staggering, she turning to face the copy, she parried a flurry of golden bolts.
Nova thought of Shizumaru. He probably couldn’t lose to any single foe…but what if Ameki had been copied as well? Would he be able to defeat his own demon…and who would the original Ameki side with?
Hurling her blades as the copy hurled hers, Nova watched the two shuriken meet in mid-air. She hurled a Ruby Inferno towards the clone, intercepting it’s own; the battlefield was bathed in flaring light as the two spells meet between them, forming an pillar of flame that reached up to pierce the cloud cover.
Nova thought of Keitaro. He had triggered literally every trap in Gohda Castle by accident…how much worse would he fare in Hell?
Nova ran a finger across the cut on her cheek, then nodded. The air around Nova began to glow gold, and the Proof in her hands shone brighter.
“I can heal these wounds later with my magic. But if I’m not there to help my friends now, nothing will matter in the end!”
Nova’s copy rose her hands a second before Nova did, flames racing towards Nova as the copy shouted, “Ruby Inferno!”
Dream
I have faith that what I feel is true.
A brilliant point of white light shone brightly around Nova’s hand as she shouted, “Spiral Flash!” The light shot towards the fake Nova, ribbons of red, blue, and green light trailing behind. The light blew past the twin jets of flame as if they weren’t there, then shot on towards the copy…
…which disappeared. Nova took a split second to glance around – seeing the plane’s chaos falling into order once more – then vanished as well. Appearing back in Hell she stared at her copy, which was slowly trying to pick herself off the ground. The false Nova had managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, but even that little contact had a devastating effect upon her. Nova rose her blades, shouting as she charged her shadow.
Live
All the dreams you dream will live on.
“For the sake of my friends, I’d fight against hell itself!” _________________
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Moogle Hero in a Half-Pint

Joined: 28 Dec 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Maryland, USA
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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Frantically, Keitaro crawled along the ground, clawing in every possible direction as he tried to locate his glasses that had fallen down. There was not much that he could see beyond a big, light blur everywhere. For all he knew, his shadow clone was doing the exact same thing five feet away from his current location, but that was beyond his notice and also beyond his care at the moment. It could have been worse.
He realized his error in letting that thought slip through his head at the exact moment that the ground began to shake. Keitaro knew that this was not something natural; when dealing with battles on the scale of what was being dealt with, it was obviously not a natural earthquake whenever the ground began to shake. Were he on his feet it probably would have sent him tumbling, but since he was on all fours he did not have any balance problems. Of course, he also couldn't see what was going on.
Something small hit against his pant leg, and he instinctively reached out to grasp it. Shockingly, it was his glasses. Could my luck be that good? he wondered as he put them on and his vision went back into focus.
Immediately, he realized that was not the case. It was immediate because he caught sight of the gigantic castle-shaped creature that had sprung up out of the ground. He did not know that it was Alexander, and he did not know that it meant holy judgment was going to be unleashed upon them all, but he could tell that it meant bad news, because castle-shaped creatures generally just didn't sit around and look pretty. Perhaps 'pretty' was the wrong word, more like majestic. Too bad it had been summoned by the shadow clone.
"Where is my own clone?" he mumbled to himself as he spun around to look at the area. And he saw the clone of himself, crawling slowly but surely towards the castle wall, still without its glasses.
Only one Asuka was still standing. Judging from the fact that he was not attacking any of the others, Keitaro figured it was the real Asuka. The two Novas appeared and continued to fight, and the Shizumarus were locked in the same sort of epic battle. The real Cyan stood on the ground, and the fake one was perched on one of the castle-creature's parapets. But most importantly, nobody was paying attention to him.
He saw that it was the only chance he was going to get. What he was going to do when he got to the clone (if he even made it to the clone) he did not know, but he had to run and do something about it.
So Keitaro ran towards the shadow clone version of himself, ran as fast as he could. It was perhaps the first time in his life that he ran towards something at his top speed, rather than running away from it. But the significance of the event was lost on him, focused as he was on his target.
While he bore down on the 'evil' Keitaro, beams of light began to shoot out from the castle-creature, arcing up into the air and falling to the ground all around, deadly missiles. They too shook the ground, but Keitaro kept running, even as he became aware that this was not any sort of game; one of those blasts would probably vaporize him straight away. There was no running away for Keitaro now, though. He had to do his part.
Chunks of rock pelted him continuously as the ground exploded behind him, and to either side of him, and even a couple of times in front of him, forcing him to leap over craters to continue his charge. But never was he struck by the holy power, so his momentum did not stop. He would not let it stop.
Seemingly as quickly as the beams started to fall, they ceased, and as the last of the lights receded he saw the form of his shadow clone swirl and fade away into nothingness.
The judging light of Alexander had rained down from the sky and it found Keitaro Urashima innocent. That shadow clone was not so lucky.
Keitaro stopped to catch his breath and sized up the situation again. Or at least, he tried to size up the situation, but he suddenly realized that he could not see. The pair of glasses that he found belonged to the shadow clone, and with its death they too swirled away.
Sighing, Keitaro dropped back down to his hands and knees and tried to pick up the correct pair of glasses this time. _________________
Thanks to Switchblade for sig and avatar |
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Helmar Brilliant Reflection

Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Cephiro
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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Thinking of her friends, thinking of what the Lord of Hell had done to Ralph, Nova leapt at her copy with her Proof shining almost blindingly. The copy rose her own blades to block Nova’s strike, now seemingly dimmed as much as Nova’s had brightened. The two struggled for a countless moment, both Proofs of the Pillar locked against the other…
…and the copy’s blades faded away. Nova’s strike turned the copy into a few wisps of shadow that were quickly engulfed by the Proof’s light. The Lord of Hell had made a single mistake when he decided to pit Pillar against Pillar…but a costly one.
Only one Pillar could be in existence at any one time. While the two Novas had been equal, they were as a single being; when Nova’s concern for her friends was added, concern that the shadow couldn’t have, her strength of heart had increased…and the Proof had lived up to its name. She looked around, seeing several of her friends had already defeated their own copies, though some of them looked worse for wear.
She thought briefly of what would come next. She couldn’t think of anything worse than facing one’s own deepest fears, or facing themselves…which likely meant she definitely wouldn’t like what Hell’s Lord had planned. She blinked a few times as she remembered what he had said…some things that had seemed very odd indeed.
With Amethyst's power added to my own…
…wrested full control from those pitiful mortals…
…hoped-for champions of Blue and Rouge...
Unsure what to make of it, she filed it away for later consideration. Nova laughed a little as she considered the scope of what they were going to do. Five people against the Lord of Hell, himself possessing a body that he obviously thought was worth the trouble.
I guess we’ve just been handed the mother of all ‘save the world’ missions…
She let her doubts wash away. Win or lose the upcoming fight, they’d do their best. She thought of Shizumaru and Asuka, of Cyan and Keitaro. She didn’t think Hell’s Lord had yet realized exactly what these five fighters could really do.
A Healing Wind gently whistled around her as she walked towards the others, softly singing a tune Hikaru had always liked. She grinned as she realized how aptly each verse described them…
First in trust, second in truth,
But eighteenth in seriousness.
We won't cry, we won't cry, no way shall we cry!
Kind winds will be blowing tomorrow!
First in excitement, second in cheerfulness,
But eighteenth in romance.
Don't give up, don't give up, don't-don't-don't give up!
Later be the fields, later be the sea!
First in liveliness, second in courage,
But eighteenth in willpower.
We won't lose, we won't lose, we absolutely won't lose!
There's the light right in front of us! _________________
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